Is Zakat obligatory on money owned by refugees who are unemployed and have no other source of income, and are they permitted to receive Zakat funds?
Zakat on wealth must be paid if it reaches the nisab and a hawl (lunar year) passes over it, even if the person is receiving aid. It is permissible for a person to be both a payer and a recipient of zakat at the same time if their wealth reaches the nisab but is insufficient for their expenses. So, if you pay zakat, and what remains is not enough for a year's expenses, then it is permissible to receive zakat to complete your sufficiency. Paying zakat is a cause for Allah to replace it with good and increase wealth, as stated in His Almighty قول: "And whatever you spend of anything, He will compensate it; and He is the best of providers," and in the hadith: "Charity does not decrease wealth." Calamities in this world are an expiation for a Muslim and a رفع in their ranks.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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