Zakaat

Q: I gave a needy person some charity money for construction of his house. Later on, can I make the niyyat of zakaat for that money? Will my zakaat be discharged in this way?

Q: I am a married woman. I work from home giving extra lessons. I have loaned most of my savings money to family members. (interest free)

Do I need to pay zakaat on this money that I have loaned them?

Since I do not have much savings left; if I cannot afford the zakaat amount; will I have to sell my jewellery from my mother and my wedding jewellery to pay it?

Q: I gave a few thousands as a loan to someone and did not tell him that I had no intention of taking back. Please tell me:

1. Can I inform him not to pay me back?

2. Can I deduct that amount from my due zakat?

3. Should I inform him that it was zakat?

4. When I was giving him the loan, I had no intention of cutting it from my zakat. 

Q: I have a partner who has debts that needs to be paid off, instead of me giving my zakaat away to someone needy, could I give him that money to help him pay his debts?

Q: I want to know about urdu word "nazar e muyyan", people sacrifice animals if they are ill, or calamity stricken and want to get out of difficulties.

Note: This is done without any commitment. There is another type of commitment that if I succeed I will spend such and such on the poor. I am asking about the 1st type. Does it have any relavance. If that is true, can I spend money because I cannot sacrifice an animal because of living in a foreign place?   

Q: I have some labourers working in my warehouse. They are poor people and most of the time they are unable to make ends meet. They own small houses. Can I give them zakaat?

Q: A maid recently started coming to our house. Apparently she seems needy. I have asked her about her possessions and she says that she doesn't have any gold/silver and neither do they have any saving. Can I give her zakat? I can not go and investigate myself, will it be sufficient to rely on what she says?

Q: Is watering plants a form of sadaqah? 

Is feeding wild birds also a form of sadaqah? (Wild birds that come to our garden)

Q: If there are 2 siblings, one is fairly well off and the other is struggling financially. The “wealthier” one would like to discharge his zakaah.

The question is, can it be given to the struggling sibling, to settle debts. It would pay the credit card debts off and the card would then be cancelled.

Also, debts from medical bills that arose from the birth of their last child, which is with debt collectors. They pay small amounts, but with the interest so it does not do much and the amounts keep increasing. It would only be used for debt payments and no other purpose. Please advise.

Q: I have previously given an elderly person zakaat money to pay off his son's debt, without the son knowing. The zakaat though was was given with the intention for the son as he is zakaat liable. From my understanding tamleek (taking ownership) did not take place, is my zakaat valid, or do I have to take out the amount again?