Zakaat

Q: What does "Zakaah can be only given to people that do not possess nisaab" mean?

Q: I just started a business of my own. I decided to give 5% charity in the name of Allah from the profits. I just want to know that where should I spend this money.

There is a case among my relatives, my father in law has 7 children; 5 girls and 2 boys. Four of them are married and one is unmarried. The eldest son has a special case with deafness and now going to be blind because they don't have enough money to operate on his eyes. The younger son is not working at all. He just sits at home all the day. The age of my father in law is above 60s. My question is that can I give this money to him?

Q: I want to have a reputation for generosity or to be known for that good quality, is that allowed in Islam and will I also have the reward on Yawmul Qiyamah?

Q: I have 3 tolas of gold and one year passes over it. Is zakaat liable on me or not?

Q: For the past few days I was giving sadaqa everyday to needy people, especially cleaners working for Baldiyah. I don't know if the cleaners are Muslims or non-Muslims. I mostly give sadaqa to them only.

Please let know if the money which I give to non-Muslims as sadaqa is acceptable or I should only give it to Muslims only. I really dont know their religion because they are cleaners who wear the same clothes.

Q: How do I pay zakaat on shares of my company in the JSE. Some are in property, some in merchandise stores like Shoprite, some in gas and oil. The shares are worth a lot but dividends are less.

Q: I am a woman with no income of my own. I do not receive a personal allowance from my husband for myself. He does give me a monthly allowance which is for household expenses. It really bothers me that he constantly sends money for building of wells and musjids for sadaqaa jaariyah for himself. Can I use a portion of this household money to send in my name for my own sadaqah?

Q: If a man is in debt (for example R100 000 debt), is he allowed to accept zakaat to pay off the debt?

Bear in mind that the man has no assets in his name (his father has assets such as properties and a business, but the son himself has no wealth or assets). The debt is in the name of the business that the father owns, but the responsibility of the debt is the son's (the father is unaware of the debt). The son however, is in possession of stock to the value of his debt, but the stock is not selling. Can the son receive zakaat in order to pay off his debts?

Q: Can I do charity on behalf of someone else without telling him or her?

Q: A Muslim man bumped into my car. He gave me the round around for 2 months. He eventually agreed to pay the panelbeater. Now he has excluded the vat amount. When I asked him for the vat amount he refused then says he will give me the vat amount as zakaat.

The full invoice of the panelbeater is what is supposed to be paid. He wants to now make it a zakaat thing thinking that I wont take it on hearing that it's zakaat. What is the ruling as the full amount is what had to be paid in the agreement of fixing me car?