Utilizing Zakaat For The Benefit Of A Deceased Person

Beneficiaries, Zakaat

Question

A person who was liable for zakaat had passed away.

1. Is it permissible to use zakaat money to pay for his/her burial expenses?

2. Is it permissible to pay off the debts of the deceased with zakaat money?

Answer

1) No, it is not permissible to use the Zakaat funds directly to pay for the burial expenses.  In order to make this permissible, it will be necessary to first make a living person (who is an eligible recipient of Zakaat) the owner of the Zakaat money.  This person can then utilize the Zakaat funds to settle the deceased’s burial expenses.

2) The answer to this is the same as in #1 above, that it is not permissible to use the Zakaat funds to directly pay the deceased’s creditor,  unless the giver of Zakaat first makes a person who is eligible for Zakat the owner of his Zakaat money. This person may then use this Zakaat money to pay off the debts of the deceased.  

 

Checked and Approved By:

Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B.

References

(وَلَا يُبْنَى بِهَا مَسْجِدٌ ‌وَلَا ‌يُكَفَّنُ ‌بِهَا ‌مَيِّتٌ) لِانْعِدَامِ التَّمْلِيكِ وَهُوَ الرُّكْنُ (وَلَا يُقْضَى بِهَا دَيْنُ مَيِّتٍ) (باب من يجوز دفع الصدقة و من لا يجوز 2\267)

 وَلَا يُجْزِئُ فِي الزَّكَاةِ عِتْقُ رَقَبَةٍ وَلَا الْحَجُّ وَلَا قَضَاءُ دَيْنِ مَيِّتٍ وَلَا تَكْفِينُهُ وَلَا بِنَاءُ مَسْجِدٍ، وَالْأَصْلُ فِيهِ أَنَّ الْوَاجِبَ فِيهِ فِعْلُ الْإِيتَاءِ فِي جُزْءٍ مِنْ الْمَالِ وَلَا يَحْصُلُ الْإِيتَاءُ إلَّا بِالتَّمْلِيكِ فَكُلُّ قُرْبَةٍ خَلَتْ عَنْ ‌التَّمْلِيكِ…(المبسوط للسرخسي 2\202)

(قَوْلُهُ وَلَا يُبْنَى بِهَا مَسْجِدٌ ‌وَلَا ‌يُكَفَّنُ ‌بِهَا ‌مَيِّتٌ) لِانْعِدَامِ التَّمْلِيكِ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ الرُّكْنُ وَالدَّلِيلُ عَلَى أَنَّ التَّمْلِيكَ لَا يَتَحَقَّقُ فِي تَكْفِينِ الْمَيِّتِ أَنَّ الذِّئْبَ لَوْ أَكَلَ الْمَيِّتَ يَكُونُ الْكَفَنُ لِلْمُكَفِّنِ لَا لِلْوَارِثِ كَذَا فِي النِّهَايَةِ وَكَذَا لَا يُقْضَى بِهَا دَيْنُ مَيِّتٍ…الجوهرة النيرة على مختصر القدوري باب مصارف الزكاة 1\129)

وكذا لو قضى دين ميت فقير بنية الزكاة؛ لأنه لم يوجد ‌التمليك من الفقير لعدم قبضه، ولو قضى دين حي فقير إن قضى بغير أمره لم يجز؛ لأنه لم يوجد ‌التمليك من الفقير لعدم قبضه وإن كان بأمره يجوز عن الزكاة لوجود ‌التمليك من الفقير؛ لأنه لما أمره به صار وكيلا عنه في القبض فصار كأن الفقير قبض الصدقة بنفسه وملكه من الغريم.(بدئع الصنائع فصل في ركن الزكاة 2\39)

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