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:

My wife had clothes of her wedding. As you know wedding clothes are very costly. She used those clothes very few times & were almost new. Somebody told her that she can utilize these clothes for Zakat. So she gave those dresses to a lady who teaches Quraan to kids on her marriage & considered it as Zakat. Though she evaluated less than half of the original price of the clothes for Zakat purpose. And the Zakat money which I gave to her she used it for her personal buying.

My question whether Zakat can be paid this way?

 

(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:

 

Give zakah old dress

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.

 

Your Question: My question whether Zakat  can be paid this way?

Umar ibn Al-Khattab (r.a.) reported that he heard the Prophet (saws) say "If anyone wears some new clothing and says, 'All praise and thanks be to Allah Who clothed me to cover my nakedness, and made it a means of adornment for me,' and then takes his old garment and gives it in ‘sadaqah’, he would be in Allah's protection, guardianship and shelter both when alive and when dead.

Related by Tirmidhi.

 

There is absolutely no harm if one gives away their used clothing to a needy person as ‘sadaqah’ or voluntary charity; but the absolute majority of the scholars and jurists in Islam are of the opinion that if one wishes to fulfill their ‘zakah’ dues, it would be best if that object (wedding dress in this case) is actually sold, and the amount received from the sale is given as a part of their obligatory ‘zakah’.

 

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