Zakaat

Discharging one's zakaat late

Q: Regarding Zakat Al-maal, what is the ruling on one who pays this late, like a day after his anniversary? Is there any sin on him? Because he was trying to find a suitable charity that he trusts, for the imam he was used to giving his zakat Al-Maal to was somewhat dubious in the end. This caused him to be late in paying his Zakat, while he was trying to find a suitable cause. So what is the ruling on this, and on the one who pays this late out of
laziness? What happens to his reward in both cases?

Creating a Zakaat fund for students university expenses

Q: I am currently doing volunteer work at a Muslim children’s orphanage near my area. I have found that many of the children leaving the orphanage after grade 12 are having  difficulties finding funds for studies and accommodation. These youths are either placed at a Muslim youth home/ to live with a family willing to provide accommodation for them/ with their own family if possible and for some (as no placement are found) may go into a non-Islamic home (which is very problematic!). Some of these children are provided with some funds from the orphanage but this is reported to also be problematic as fees are not paid on time, they struggle to get finances for accommodation, stationary etc. My aim is to open a zakaat fund and use the money to pay fees for stationary/ varsity fees/ transport  as these youths (who I am very close to even after they leave the orphanage) are struggling to get these funds from the organisation as the organisation is only able to support children till matric. Thus my aim is to open a fund to pay for these youths. Can I go ahead and do this? Are these youths zakaatable? Will I be able to open a zakaat fund collecting my own zakaat and of family members that are willing to assist with their zakaat and pay for studies/ accommodation/ stationary/ transports for these Muslim youths? I will use the zakaat for each of the grade 12’s leaving the orphanage to secure their studies etc? Please advise? Alternatively please provide me with guidance on what can be done?

Zakaat on prepaid expenditure and deposits

Q: Please advise if the following items (which are treated as assets in the Annual Financial Statement) are included under zakaatable assets for the purposes of calculating your zakaat:

1)Prepaid Expenditure

2)Deposits held by Suppliers or service providers eg. The municipality

Will "Income received in advance" (normally treated as a liability in the Annual Financial Statement) be included in determining your zakaat?

Discharging zakaat incorrectly

Q: A woman wants to discharge her zakaah to a qualified recipient in another city. The recipient instructs a third person to collect that zakaah on his
behalf, and deposit in an account. The third person collects the zakaah. Therafter the recipient instructs the third person to please not deposit the zakaah, and not to collect it! Due to a delay in the third person collecting it! The third person after receiving this information via text message
acknowledges! Still collects and deposits the money! Now the bank account which was not the recipients account was in overdraft! With the result the entire zakaah amount was used up and the recipient did not receive it. So who is liable to replace that zakaah?