Zakah paid to those who are employed to collect it
2-4-2013 | IslamWeb
Question:
Among the channels of paying Zakaah and charity that are mentioned in the Noble Quran is of those who are employed to collect the Zakaah. What is the rate that should be given to them from Zakaah and charity?
Answer:
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, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.
Workers who are appointed by the authorities to collect Zakah are one of the eight categories who are entitled to receive Zakah. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [Zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the Cause of Allaah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allaah. And Allaah is Knowing and Wise.}[Quran 9:60]
As for the rate they should take from Zakah, there is no fixed rate that should be paid to any of the eight categories. Moreover, according to the majority of scholars, it is permissible to pay all the money of Zakah to one of the eight categories. According to the Shaaf‘i scholars, the Zakah money must be paid to all eight categories, each taking one eighth.
Al-Maawardi, the Shaaf‘i scholar, said in Al-Ahkaam As-Sultaaniyyah: "The third category is that of those who are employed to collect it (i.e. the Zakah) and they are of two types: The first includes those who collect it while the second includes those who divide and distribute it like a trustee, supervisor or subordinate. Allaah Ordained that their wages be paid from the Zakah money so that no extra amounts may be taken from the money of the owners of wealth. They should be paid from the money allotted to this category an amount that equals the wage given to those who work in similar jobs. If the share allotted to their category is more than their wages, the excess is to be added to the rest of the categories. If it is less, then their wages are to be completed from the Zakah money according to one of the two reported opinions and from the money allocated to Muslim interests according to the second opinion,"
Allaah Knows best.