Discharging zakaat

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.

Discharging the market value of goods for zakaat if one does not have cash

Q: I have a retail business that's just breaking even month on month, alhumdulillah. This year has been my hardest year and revenue is declining. I have approximately R2.8mil in stock that is very slow moving and I want to know, how do I go about paying the zakaat on my business this year? The revenue generated weekly is used for salaries, day to day expenses and purchasing of fast selling goods. There are weeks that I don't take any wage, so I need to plan ahead, so that my business zakaat can be discharged accordingly. My zakaat date is 1st Rabi Al Awaal

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 ?