Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I am a Pakistani and living in Saudi Arabia. Every year, during my vacation, I pay Zakat.

 

For the past two years I have saved the Zakat money for having two poor girls married in 2007. Last year I invested the money in the National Investment Trust. When I will go on vacation next year there will be some profit earned on the invested (Zakat) money.

 

Please advise whom the profit money will go to; whether to me or to be added into the Zakat money?

 

Thank you,

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Zakah money invest

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, the ‘zakah’ dues are a prescribed right of the poor from the wealth of those who are blessed with abundance, and it is best and purest in the Sight of Allah Subhanah to distribute one’s annual ‘zakah’ in full amongst the poor and needy in that particular calendar year. 

 

It is neither encouraged nor permissible in Shariah that one from whose wealth the annual ‘zakah’ is due invests those ‘zakah’ funds due from him; but he must strive to allocate and distribute his ‘zakah’ dues in full amongst the poor and needy in the corresponding calendar year itself.

 

If one has, in ignorance of Shariah, invested the ‘zakah’ funds due from him and made some profit, the absolute majority of the scholars and jurists in Islam are of the opinion that the profit along with the ‘zakah’ principal  should be distributed as ‘zakah’; the additional profit from the ‘zakah’ funds would be regarded as ‘sadaqah’ (supererogatory charity), if Allah so Wills and Pleases.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan