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Should zakat be re-issued if one suspects the recipient is a deceiver, and what is the ruling concerning the money given to the deceiver in this situation that exceeded what was needed?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If, at the time of payment, it was predominantly thought that the recipient of zakat was deserving, and then doubt arose, the zakat payer is not required to pay it a second time unless it is confirmed that the recipient was not deserving. However, if doubt arises before payment, paying zakat with doubt about the recipient's eligibility is not sufficient; rather, there must be certainty or a strong presumption that the recipient is among those entitled to zakat.

Furthermore, it is not permissible to pay zakat except to someone who is known or presumed to be eligible, otherwise, the zakat payer will not be absolved. If one pays it with doubt and then it becomes clear that the recipient was eligible, it is not sufficient.

A wayfarer (Ibn As-Sabeel) is not given from zakat more than what he needs to reach his country. According to some Hanbalis, he is given what will enable him to reach a country he intends and then his own country. If he settles in the foreign country after receiving zakat, it is taken back from him unless he is poor in his own country. If he has money left over after returning to his country, it is taken back from him according to some Hanbalis.

To learn about how to pay zakat on money owed to you by others, please refer to previous fatwas.

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

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