Is it permissible for charitable organizations to use Zakat funds to purchase shrouds and cover the burial expenses of the poor?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
It is not permissible to spend funds on preparing the deceased for burial, even if they were poor, because the categories for Zakat expenditure are limited to eight, as Allah the Almighty mentioned in His Book. Scholars have prohibited spending Zakat on purposes other than these, such as building mosques or shrouding the dead, citing that Allah’s statement "إنما" (verily, only) denotes exclusivity. Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen clarified that what is meant by "in the way of Allah" is specifically Jihad, and not all good deeds, otherwise, mentioning exclusivity would be futile.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/14001
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 14001
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy