Paying for one's poor neighbour's renovations using zakaat money

Q: The following has occurred and I am not sure if it counts as my zakaat being fulfilled.

We have a neighbor who is a worthy recipient of zakaat. My parents were in the process of helping them amend some part of their home when my zakaat became due. I had informed them of it and so my mother gave the man who is doing the fixing, the money to buy the tools and materials with the intention of zakaat for our neighbor. It was not given to the man doing the fixing in lieu of his labour but rather for the material needed to fix our zakaatable neighbors house.

Is my zakaat considered as valid ?

A: If your neighbour consented to giving the money to the other person to purchase the material for him, and he purchased the material to renovate the house, the zakaat will be discharged.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

 

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)