Q: There are most of our relative women whose husbands don’t fall in the catogray of taking zakat, but they don’t care about these women in terms of their daily needs, continually working them in fields and if they became ill, they don’t take them to hospital. Because of illness, few died and others are suffering. Is it allowed if I support them with zakat.
Q: My family has recently started giving food parcels to the less fortunate. It has gradually grown by numbers and is now once a week that a little over 100 food takeaway containers are given at 1 venue (more kids) and on another day, at a different venue, around 400 food packets are distributed. Majority of the people are non-Muslim and it was our intention to distribute to this particular group in the hope that this act alone would encourage or display the deen to these people and any others who might see. We are not well known in the area so hopefully by us doing it in a visible spot, not in everyone’s eye, but still visible to passer by’s.
Our intention is that this act should be sincerely for the pleasure of Allah and seeking nothing more than the reward and hopefully, Insha Allah, the correct message will be portrayed in hope of it being a means of Allah giving any of them hidayat. Our fear is that we do not want to lose the reward because of it becoming known by people we know, or even our weak hearts looking for anything more then the pleasure of our Creator. We try our utmost to never speak about it so as not to transgress, what the right hand does, the left hand should not know!
We need help and advice and we don’t know who to ask but at the risk of it becoming a thing of show or more importantly at the risk of losing the reward, hopefully we can be assisted here. We sincerely believe that there is a grand opportunity for us to pass the message of Deen on to these people and make it more of an Islamic drive so that we can maximize the opportunity and spread the word of Islam through this opportunity. How do we do it without involving the local ulama?
What else can we do to use this opportunity for dawah? We considered including literature in the parcels but fear that if Allahs name is mentioned in the literature and they just discard it, then that would also be sinful.
Q: I have a retirement annuity. Do I discharge Zakaat on the capital amount or do I discharge on the maturity amount?
Q: A maid (widow) is in dire need to buy a small room. She sells her only possession (gold worth one lakh rupees) for this purpose and hands over this amount to the middleman. The middleman is responsible for giving this one lakh to the actual owner of the room who is in another city. The owner will arrive after a month to receive payment. Is this lady eligible for zakaat after handing over the money to the middleman or will she be eligible when the money will be transferred to the actual owner after one month?
Q: As an employee, I am facilitated to take 3 types of loan from my employer.
Loan type 01:
This loan is termed as 'Salary Advance'. In case of emergency, the employee can take a loan from the employer to a maximum of 6 times his basic salary. The lent amount will be deducted from the monthly salary in 12 installments. If the employee leaves the job before the settlement of the loan, then the left amount will be deducted from the gratuity scheme, provident fund, etc.
Loan type 02:
This loan is termed as 'Investment loan'. The employee will receive an amount every year on 1st of June from the employer/company to invest in some particular investment schemes to get tax rebate on yearly income received from the company. The lent amount will be deducted from the monthly salary in 12 installments. If the employee leaves the job before the settlement of the loan, then the left amount will be deducted from the gratuity scheme, provident fund, etc.
Loan type 03:
The employee can take a loan from the compulsory provident fund. The lent amount will have to be adjusted as per agreement with the company. If the employee leaves the job before the settlement of the loan, then the left amount will be deducted from the gratuity scheme, provident fund, etc.
My question is, with a view to calculating zakaat of these loans, how will the lent amounts be considered? Whether assets, liability or amaanat?
Q: It is permissible for an organization that collects and distributes Zakaat funds to purchase land with Zakaat funds and thereafter subdivide the land and give the land to worthy Zakaat recipients.
Q: I sold my business including the stock before year and invested that money in another business right after selling. Do I have to calculate my zakat year since I have started my first business or from the date when I started my 2nd business? I am in doubt because money which I have invested is from my first business.
Q: Sometimes beggars come and ask us for money when we are outside the office with colleagues. Sometimes, I don't have small currency to give them and neither can I say anything to them. Last time I went to the city and we were outside the office and one beggar was asking for money. He came to me but I didn't have small currency at that time to give to him, but he stood infront of me. After a few minutes a colleague who was with me gave him some money. I sometimes think what they might think of me. Genuniely if I had small currency I would have given it to him. Can we deny if we don't have small currency notes.
Q: If I have given loan to someone, do I need to include this in my asset calculation for upcoming year zakaat?
Q: I have purchased goods for 100 000 for my shop. The year is not completed and I sold my shop for 200 000. Do I have to pay zakaat on this 200 000 on the completion the year since I have started my shop or next year?