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Is it permissible for Zakat to be given if the giver intended to disburse the money as Zakat after it was given to the agent as Sadaqah and before it reached the beneficiary?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If someone pays voluntary charity to a poor person and then intends it to be zakat, it is not valid, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Indeed, actions are by intentions." The intention is a condition that must accompany the act or precede it by a short time. However, if one gives zakat to an agent with the intention of voluntary charity or expiation, and then intends it as zakat before the agent hands it over to the poor person, it is valid. This is because the money in the agent's hand is still under the owner's possession, thus fulfilling the condition of intending zakat before the money leaves their ownership.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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