The Creed of Compassion-Islamic Teachings & Answering Doctrinal Misconceptions

Issue No. 1653- Those who are entitled to receive zakāt should bear the following conditions:First- Faith in God, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w) and the twelve Imams (as).Zakāt can be given to children or insane persons who are from poor Shi‘a Muslims. However, the zakāt should be given to their legal guardian irrespective of whether the payer intends to put the zakāt in their possession, or that it will be utilised for their benefit. In case however, a person has no access to the guardian, he or a trustworthy person can utilize zakāt for the benefit of the child or of the insane person.

Issue No. 1655- Being just and refraining from the major sins are not necessary requirements for receiving zakāt.

Issue No. 1656- Third- A person cannot give zakāt to those whose maintenance is obligatory on him. Hence, one cannot give his zakāt to his children, wife, or parents. However, if they are in debt, and are not able to repay their debt, zakāt can be given to them to the extent they are able to pay their debt.

Issue No. 1658- A father can give zakāt to his child to purchase religious books that he needs.

Issue No. 1659- If a husband does not pay the expenses of his wife, and the wife is able to get her right from him through the Mujtahid or his representative or someone else, such a woman cannot benefit from zakāt.

Issue No. 1661- Fourth- The one who receives zakāt should not be a sayyid, unless the zakāt payer is also a sayyid. However, if khums and other religious dues are not sufficient to meet the expenses of a sayyid and he is obliged to take zakāt, he may take zakāt from a non-sayyid yet, the obligatory precaution is that he should take zakāt only to the extent of his daily expenses.

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Issue No. 1662- A person should give zakāt with the intention of qurbah, that is, to comply with the command of Allah, the Exalted. One should specify in his intention, whether he is giving the zakāt on his wealth, or zakāt of fiṭrah (zakāt paid on Eid al-Fitr). However, if for example, it is obligatory on him to pay zakāt on wheat and barley it is not necessary for him to specify that what he is giving is the zakāt of wheat or the zakāt of barley.

Issue No. 1663- If a person, on whom it is obligatory to pay zakāt on various items, gives a part of zakāt and does not specify any of those items in his intention, in case the thing which has been given is of the kind of any one of those items it is reckoned to be zakāt on that very kind. If it is not of the same kind as any one of those items, the zakāt will be divided on all those things. For instance, if he gives one sheep as zakāt, it will be reckoned as zakāt of sheep. In case however, he gives some silver coins while he has to give zakāt of sheep and cows, it will be shared between the two.

Issue No. 1664- If a person appoints someone as his representative to give the zakāt of his property, in case the owner makes the intention of zakāt it will suffice whether the representative makes such an intention or not. However, if the owner does not make the intention of zakāt yet the representative has been given the absolute authority for everything, then, the representative should make the intention of zakāt.

Issue No. 1665- If a person or his representative gives zakāt to a poor person without the intention of qurbah, and the owner makes the intention of zakāt before that property perishes, it will be treated to be zakāt.

Issue No. 1666- If a person does not pay zakāt willingly, the Mujtahid or his representative may get it from him by force, and it will be reckoned as zakāt, so the intention of qurbah is no longer applied here. However, the Mujtahid or his representative should, as an obligatory precaution, make the intention of qurbah.