Discharging zakaat

Q: Can you please advise me on the following matter:

I am and have been using my Zakaat money to distribute monthly food hampers to poor and destitute Muslims. Many of my friends and family have observed this and have now given me their Zakaat / Sadaqah / Lillah, etc. obligations to discharge on their behalf.

With this in mind the number of recipients whom I distribute to (all of whom are Muslims) have also increased. This has become a very labour intensive exercise for me to accomplish on my own. I have thus secured assistance - some externally (also Muslims) and others from within the people who receive these hampers from me to sort, pack, get ready and distribute these hampers.

The following are my questions:

1) Can I pay these persons who assist me from the monies given to me especially in terms of the Zakaat and Sadaqah?

2) If yes, is there a percentage that I should consider to cover those expenses

3) If no, can I increase the hamper size of the “helpers” who are Zakaat recipients in lieu of payment for assisting me Can you please advise me on this matter?

Q: My brother-in-law is a poor person and he lives in a house owned by his wife (my sister). My sister has gold jewellery and she pays zakaat on it regularly.

1. Can I pay my zakaat to her husband who can do business or spend that money on his wife and children?

2. Can my sister give her zakaat to her husband but she has no source of income and she pays her zakaat from the pocket money that she receives from her parents?

Q: Someone owes me money, but a few years have passed and he is not returning it. Can I use that amount to discharge zakaat to him if he is eligible for zakaat, or should I give it to him as sadaqah?

Q: Does one have to pay zakaat only after one has had the stipulated amount of wealth in ones possession for a year or does one have to pay zakaat immediately after receiving the stipulated amount?

And what is the amount that if reached, one will have to pay zakaat?

Q: My wife has 16 tola gold and one year has passed, so who will pay the zakaat? Should I pay on behalf of my wife or my wife has to pay because my wife has no money?

Q: Can I give zakat in advance and calcule it for next year?

Q: I had a couple of questions about Zakat:

1. I became saahib-e-nisaab in Rabi-al-Awwal. However in order to gain the blessings of Ramadan I wanted to give my zakat during that month. In 1433 I gave my zakat funds in Rabi-al-Awwal as per my cycle, and in Ramadan 1433 (same year) I gave zakat on the estimated amount I would have in the following year- Rabi-al-Awwal 1434 (which I then verified in Rabi-al-Awwal to ensure the full zakat had been discharged based on the actual amount I had).  Is it now possible for me to switch my zakat cycle to every Ramadan? Or if I have to pay in Ramadan, do I still have to calculate it each year based on the projected amount for the next Rabi-al-Awwal?
2. My brother and mother had asked me to pay Zakat to someone on their behalf and then they would transfer the funds later. I made the payment and then we later forgot to do the transfer and I just came across the amounts in a note I made back then. I don't really want to take the money from them money now - would their obligation be fulfilled if I paid the zakat on their behalf from my money and didn't take it from them?

Q: At our madrasah in Kenya, we recieve different items as zakat and other as donation from individuals and other sources. Can we sell these items in our madrasa premises at reduced prices and utilize the proceeds from the sale for the madrasah? At times the items recieved cannot be distributed equally among the students.

Q: At times people give me their zakaat to discharge on their behalf. Once I gave from my personal money thinking that I will take it later from an amount of zakaat kept away. When I went to replace the money, I realized that the amount was already dicharged. A few days later, I received another amount of zakaat. Will it be correct for me to replace my personal money from the second amount of zakaat although my intention was to take it from the first amount?

Q: If I have lent some money to a needy friend and the latter is absconding from repayment and is avoiding me, can I later consider this money as zakaat without telling him that I am considering the sum due as zakaat to him?