Giving zakaat to one's cook
Q: Can I give zakaat to my cook, who is trying to buy a new house as her current living conditions are extremely poor? Also, her daughter is getting married. Can I give it to her daughter?
Zakaat
Calculating the value of gold for previous years' unpaid zakaat
Q: I wanted to ask some things related to the payment of zakaat. They are as follows:
I was unaware that I had enough gold previously and now I have to pay zakaat for the last 2.5 years. So will the zakaat of each year be calculated according to the gold value in that year, or according to the current year's gold value?
If I won't pay it all at once, and do it in installments will I be sinful in delaying it further?
Keeping money aside for sadaqah
Q: I have done a niyyat of giving money in sadaqah and that money is with me (waiting to find someone who is needy). If someone comes to me asking for a qarz (debt), can I give debt to that person from that money with niyyat that when he will return, I will give sadaqa of that amount (as it is ultimately sadaqa money) and if that person does not return money after a long period, I will assume that my sadaqah is fulfilled as I am not getting that money back.
Giving zakaat to one's brother in law
Q: Is my brother in law a recipient of zakaat?
My sister and her husband have a few debts but at the same time they have a TV and phones and Alhamdulillah food in their home, water and electricity, and a nice home to live in even though it is on rent.
We feel it will be incorrect to give zakaat to them because they are not termed under masakeen, poor or destitute but they do have debts to finish off.
My brother in law has recently opened his own business and slowly getting onto his feet.
Giving zakaat to Muslim children whose parents are non Muslims
Q: Can Zakaat be given to Muslim children but parents are Non Muslims?
Calculating zakaat on items in a home-based online shop
Q: I own a home-based online shop. I would like to know the following:
1. Do I calculate zakāt on the selling price or cost price of unsold inventory?
2. Are customer receivables (orders shipped but not yet paid) zakatable on my yearly zakāt date?
3. If goods arrive only two days before the zakāt anniversary, must they be included?
Giving money to non-Islamic charities
Q: Is it permissible to give money to non-Islamic charities like Wateraid or Sightsavers?
Zakaat on jewellery given to a child
Q: If I give my minor child pure gold jewellery, do I have to pay zakaat on it?
Giving sadaqah to a non-Muslim
Q: Can I give sadaqah on behalf of myself and my wife to a non-Muslim?
Donating to an organization that supports Shias
Q: I sponsor a Hifz Orfan which means I sponsor a child to become a Hafiz and to get an education and to have healthy meals throughout the day but the charity I do it through which is called Penny Appeal has links to Shia Islam.
I googled Penny Appeal and it says 'Penny Appeal is a non-denominational international humanitarian organization and does not identify as exclusively Shia or Sunni'. It also says 'Penny Appeal serves beneficiaries from all backgrounds regardless of religious affiliation'. So the children I sponsor could be Shia or Sunni or they could be Shia when they hit puberty. So what shall I do? Shall I cancel the donation or keep it going?