Is it permissible to pay part of zakat al-mal (money zakat) to purchase oxygen cylinders for coronavirus patients, given the crisis in their availability?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The poor, sick person who needs an oxygen cylinder but cannot afford it, should be given its price in cash from , not the cylinder itself. It is permissible for the poor person to appoint the owner of the wealth as his agent to purchase the cylinder.
However, purchasing cylinders and placing them in hospitals or charities for the general benefit of patients is not permissible from Zakat funds, because Zakat requires the ownership to be transferred to the poor person, and general-use cylinders benefit both the rich and the poor.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/13138
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 13138
- 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