Using zakaat money to pay an employee for his employment service

Q: The Botswana Muslim Association zakaat committee is currently in the process of restructuring its operations for enhanced transparency, security, and accountability. 

At present, one of our full-time imaams is solely responsible for all aspects of the zakaat operations. To improve our processes, we would like to employ a full-time finance officer to handle fund management, accounting, and financial reporting, as well as an additional aalim to assist with needs assessments, verification of zakaat applications, and conducting home visits. 

We seek guidance on whether it would be permissible to allocate a portion of the zakaat funds collected to cover the remuneration for these roles, given that they would directly contribute to the effective and responsible administration of zakaat distribution.

Driving non-mahrams

Q: Where I'm working, I know the people quite well. I've been working here for about 3 years or so now. 

They give me duties to do, example, to take their mother or wife or sister to go shopping or to transport them from one place to another. 

I personally don't like doing that because they are non mahram. My wife gets angry with me when I do those things and she doesn't speak to me. 

If I do tell my boss that I can't do those duties, I know personally they will fire me or treat me differently although they are Muslims. What should I do?

Woman earning more reward for performing ibaadah in her hotel room when going for umrah

Q: With regards to women performing Umrah, I've been advised that it's preferred they make ibaadah individually. However, my question is if a woman has the correct intentions and adopts strict pardah and makes tawaaf and performs salaah in the Haram Shareef, is she rendered sinful in this regard?

Collecting the company phone which one forgot while out for work

Q: A person has a phone for work purposes. The phone is old and the battery no longer lasts the full day. If he goes somewhere for work purposes and forgets the phone there because it's flat and he is forced to use his own phone. Is he liable to go and pick up the company phone with his own money or will he be allowed to use the company vehicle to go and get the phone?