Zakaat

Including an amount in one's zakaat calculation that one set aside for sadaqah

Q: I made an intention that a certain portion of my annual bonus will be set aside for Sadaqah and Lillah. The money is not in a separate bank account but together with my savings. I have a spreadsheet of the amount what was spent and how much is still available for charity.

Do I need to include the amount into my Zakaat calculation, assuming that I have not discharged it as charity it for a lunar year? The intention is to still discharge the money as Sadaqah or Lillah.

Clarification: Will the Vat amount be included in the zakaat?

Q: A person gave me R100 of his zakaat and asked me to buy a zakaat hamper and give it on his behalf to the poor. I bought the hamper for R100 which was inclusive of 15% vat and thereafter gave it to a recipient of zakaat. Did R85 of the person's zakaat get discharged or did R100 of His zakaat get discharged?

Similarly, if zakaat vouchers are given to the poor and they make purchases with it from a specific shop to which zakaat money has been given, and the shop owner has been informed that he should give the poor who come to him items to the value of the zakaat vouchers, and the shop owner sells them the items for the full amount of the zakaat vouchers but deducts 15% of the money for vat, will the full amount of the zakaat vouchers be regarded as the zakaat discharged or will the amount less 15% be regarded as the zakaat discharged?

Zakaat on a government bursary

Q: If a person is studying at a university and is funded by a government bursary as well as gets discount by the university but the government bursary only pays fees in January or so, so the student is in debt to the university by the end of year in December, but because the government pays the bursary in January and due to the discount that the university gives there is still an amount left over with the university on the students financial statement stating that the university owes the student some money. So all the years of studies goes on in this way where the excess money left over gets used up completely during the course of the year for fees but by the end of the year the student is in debt and the following year the bursary pays it out and now the university owes the student.

Does the student have to pay zakaat on the left over amount that's reflecting on his financial statement? (Despite this money getting used up during the course of the year completely and despite him not having any access to it) or does he only have to pay zakaat on the money that he has in his possession?

Accepting money as a gift that was supposed to be given in charity

Q:

1. My mother wants to offer me her money which she says is earned by halaal means by selling her land. However, I have a doubt in my heart that the money is actually not halaal as it is charity collected from people that was supposed to be given to the poor and needy. Is taking this money from my mother permissible for me?

2. I want to start a business using this money, but because I have a doubt about it, I want to keep only the profits and pay back all of the invested amount to my mother. Will this be permissible?