Delaying the due Zakat to give it to a poor relative in another country

27-3-2007 | IslamWeb

Question:

salam alaykom,we r in a foreign country and there is a woman who is in need of money knowing that also our families in the middle east r also in need of that money,should we give that woman a part of zakat or better for us to wait until we visit the middle east and give the ones who can have a part of our zakat but who r from our families thank u,salam alaykom

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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 is His slave and Messenger.

 

Paying Zakat for the poor who are in your country is more appropriate for two reasons:

1-    In principle Zakat should be paid in the country where the money is, and the jurists said: “It is better to pay out Zakat to the poor of the country where the money is.” Moreover, some jurists stated that it is not permissible to transfer Zakat to another country. The view we adopt in Islamweb is that it is disliked unless there is a sound reason for doing so. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 84113 and 85314.

2-    Keeping Zakat money with you and not giving it out after it is due until you go back to your country, may take a long time, and it is known that in principle Zakat should be paid out immediately unless if there is someone who is more in need, like a relative or neighbour, in which case it is permissible to delay it until it will be given to them.

If you know that the woman whom you mentioned in the question may find other people who may help her, and that your relatives in your country are more in need and poorer, then it is permissible to send them your Zakat but you should not delay it until you go back to your country. You may send Zakat very quickly by the means which are available today.  

Allaah Knows best.