Zakaat

Q: My aunt was widowed when my cousins were very young. We were told that they can accept zakaat. Years later I realised that my aunt did not have cash but did have all her gold jewellery. The house my uncle had was sold and the money invested to pay their rent. My aunty worked and earned and my grandparents and family helped where they could.

Is our zakaat that we had given discharged, as it seems that the daughters did have gold, saved money and are entitled to about R67 000 each. As family we were told that they had nothing.

If the zakaat is not discharged how would one go about discharging it?

Q: Can broiler chickens be given as sadaqah as a whole or some part of it to poor Muslims or non-Muslims.

Q:

1. I wish to give zakat to a poor lady but someone (who claims to know her ancestors) say that they are 'sayyads', the family doesn't claim to be sayyads and are not known as sayyads in society, can I give zakat to them?

2. Also, can I give zakat to someone who has a television at home?

Q:

1. It has been 2 years since my cousin has passed away. She has left 3 children under the age of 8. However, my mother would like to financially support then on a monthly bases. It that permissible?

2. In addition, can zakat money be given to the orphans kids as monthly payments set aside for them?

Q: I’m a 19 year old student currently studying at Univeristy. My father has just recently got a job but the income barely covers our home expenses and my mother is unemployed. My mother does however have money invested where she receives some every month and this covers the rest of our house expenses. My parents cannot afford to pay my univeristy fees with this money. I have been offered a bursary but they give Zakaat money. I would like to find out if it is permissible for me to accept this money.

Q: If a person is liable for zakaat, can he use his childrens money without asking them instead of taking zakaat?

Q: My question is that from our earnings, what persentage we need to give for charity for the sake of Allah Ta'ala?

Q: Is it permissible for a na baaligh child to send money to Burma?

Q: Lately I was informed that on account of the price of the Qurbaani animals increasing in certain places, some scholars have suggested that the Nisaab should change from silver to gold to make it easy for the people so that they will not have to do the Qurbaani. Will it be permissible for one to accept this opinion and pay Zakaat and do Qurbaani only if one possesses wealth that equals the gold Nisaab? The silver Nisaab is 612,36g of silver, which, at present, is approximately R4 764 and the gold Nisaab is 87,48g of gold which, at present, is approximately R50 000. According to this, a lot of people who possess wealth less than R50 000, but more than R4 764 will not have to do Qurbaani and nor will they have to discharge Zakaat.

Q: Can zakaat, lillah, sadaqah and interest money be given to organisations involved in aid and relief work in places like Burma and Syria? Would one’s obligation or intention in respect of the above be discharged and what condition should be stipulated when effecting such payments?