Paying Zakat to an individual who refuses to accept it

22-1-2014 | IslamWeb

Question:

Is it permissible to pay zakat in the form of a loan to my friends whereas they are not able to pay it back? Please note that they refuse to accept financial aid and that I pay them so as to support them in terms of marriage expenses and not because they are starving.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.

If these friends are poor or needy, they are considered among the zakat recipients even if their need was marriage. But it is necessary to pay them zakat in order to place the money in their possession. Therefore, it is not permissible to pay it as a loan.

If it is known that they will probably not accept it, then it is not permissible to give them the zakat since it will not become their wealth unless they accept it.

Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen said: "You must not pay Zakat to the poor who refuse to accept it. Hence, it will not become their wealth unless they accept it. We advise those who want to help the poor who refuse to accept zakat out of restraint by giving them charity but to not say that it is charity and they will be Rewarded by Allaah Almighty. However, it is not permissible to force someone to possess something that he does not accept.

Allaah Knows best.