Is it permissible to use zakat money for dawah activities in Australia where most of the zakat money goes overseas and there is a desperate need for funds for dawah activities which is not being adequately funded through donations?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

We have already issued Fataawa 90534 and 81303 clarifying that it is forbidden to spend the Zakat on Da'wah purposes because Da'wah is not among the recipients of Zakat which Allaah specified, and the category {…for Allaah's Cause} refers to those fighting in the holy wars.

Therefore, we advise you to exert more efforts in collecting donations for Da'wah activities and we are certain that Allaah will help you.

Finally, it should be noted that the poor in your country are more eligible for Zakat than the poor elsewhere, and Zakat should not be transferred outside the country except if there are no poor people in the country, or that there is a preponderant benefit in transferring to another country.