Is it a condition to ask about a poor person's commitment to prayer before giving them zakat?
The payer is not obligated to inquire about the prayer habits of the recipient, because the default assumption for a Muslim is that they are not wicked. Even if their wickedness is proven, this does not prevent giving them zakat, unless they use it to disobey Allah.
One who abandons prayer while denying its obligation should not be given zakat because they are not a Muslim. However, one who abandons prayer out of negligence and laziness is not considered to have committed an act of disbelief that expels them from Islam, according to the majority of scholars. Such a person is considered wicked and a perpetrator of a major sin, but this does not prevent giving them zakat.
It is permissible to give zakat to a wicked person if they do not use it to disobey Allah. Nevertheless, it is preferable to prioritize those who are upright and righteous.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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