Zakaat

Q: I am zakaat liable and collect zakaat from time to time from people, however this month I collected a large sum. Can I take out money for my kids Madrasah fees, transport fees and whatever I wish to pay for in the future and keep it aside so on a monthly basis I will have enough to pay for my expenses?

Example, I take out R1200 and keep it aside for fees from April till July so when I get my salary I can use that for other things I require.

Will I still be able to collect zakaat after this?

Q: If a person works for some years and every year, he has to discharge zakaat for example in Dhul-Hijjah. (basically his zakaat year ends in that month and discharges zakaat then). After some years, he opens up his own business from the savings he has accumulated. Thereafter, when should he now pay out any zakaat due on him? Should such a person continue discharging zakaat in Dhul-Hijjah, or he has to take a new date because of the business? 

Q: If on the 1st of Muharram a person had the nisaab amount and then the next year on the 1st of Muharram he had 1 pence less than the nisaab, what does he do?

Q: My question is regarding children giving charity. From what I know, it is not permissible for them to give Sadaqah etc. from their own wealth. What about giving gifts from their own wealth? Also, what if they buy sweets with their own money, and then decide to to share them? How does it work?

I’m teaching, and the above topic came up. They were quite disappointed that they cannot give until they are baaligh, and it sounded like a lot of them had given before. They were asking if they got any reward for what they gave, or does it not count? Is it a sin? What must I tell them?

Q: My father passed away in June 2023, but his estate only got distributed in June 2024. Do I have to pay zakaat on the amount inherited from the date of his death or only from the time it was given to me? Part of the estate was a gold coin given to me in June 2024.

Q: If a person calculates his zakaat and keeps it separately in an envelope with the intention of discharging it but before discharging it, he passes away. Will this money form a part of the estate?

Q: If jewellery is of unknown metals (unknown carat for example), how do we pay zakaah on it if there is no indication of what it is? If it's gold in colour but unknown what it consists of.

Q: I want to know about donations. Can I change my mind in that case?

For example, if I thought to save some money for donation. Then I changed my mind and invested in my business and after a while I donated the exact amount, is it valid?

I am donating, but a few days later and its my halaal money. 

Q: We have 3 bank accounts from the same bank. One is personal, one is lillah and the other is Zakaat. We use these via the banking app on the phone.

1. Many times, we receive cash lillah donations for which there is no immediate use. Depositing those funds into the account will cost high deposit fees. Can we use that for personal use and then do internal transfer from our personal account to the lillah account? Or is it compulsory to deposit and pay the deposit fees? Who should incur that fee? Donors give any amount like R500 or R2000 or R3000 in cash for general or sometimes specific needs. The deposit fee will then be deducted according to the amount. Who must bear that fee. The internal transfer is primarily meant to save those costs.

2. All 3 accounts incur monthly interest. Withdrawing those interest funds is a cost. Even transferring them via eft is a cost though much less. Can we remove those interest amounts from cash on hand? Again, this is to save lillah and Zakaat funds.

3. When transferring Zakaat to a recipient via eft, there is a bank charge that comes off the Zakaat account. How should this be done or who should bear this cost?

Q: Can I give zakaat money to a girl/boy to make his nikaah?