Is it permissible to give zakat to a person who is in debt to a building contractor, facing legal accountability or imprisonment, given that he is employed but his salary is insufficient to pay off this debt?
Whoever is indebted with a due debt and is unable to repay it, is eligible for , in accordance with the Almighty's saying: "Indeed, Sadaqat (charities) are only for the poor and the needy, and those employed to collect [Zakat], and for bringing hearts together [for Islam], and for freeing captives [or slaves], and for those in debt, and for the cause of Allah, and for the stranded traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise." The debtor is he who finds no means to repay his debt, as stated in Al-Kafi by Ibn Abd al-Barr and Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah. It is advisable to present the debtor's case to the authority responsible for collecting and distributing Zakat, or to a scholar.
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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