Q: Zakat for Islamic schools?
Assalamu Alaikumm, I`m in charge of an Islamic School in Long Island, NY. The school was established three years ago. We constatnly have a deficit since the tuitions charged to the students are not suffuicient to cover our expenses. Many memebers of our community ask us if we can accept Zakat money to Help our school. If the answer is YES. Does this money have to be used for certain expense of the school such as tiuition assistance, teacher`s salaries, books, etc or can it used for all purposes and needs of the school such as rent, utilities, etc. Please provide us with a detailed answer and we ask Allah (SWT) to reward in this dunia and in the Akhera. Ameen!.
All praise be to Allah, and may his peace and blessings be on the last and best prophet and messenger, Muhammad. The zakat beneficiaries are listed in this verse:
"إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ فَرِيضَةً مِنَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ." "
As-Sadaqât (here it means Zakât ) are only for the Fuqarâ’ (poor), and Al-Masâkin [2] (the poor) and those employed to collect (the funds), and to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islâm), and to free the captives, and for those in debt, and for Allâh’s Cause (i.e. for Mujahidûn - those fighting in a holy battle), and for the wayfarer (a traveller who is cut off from everything); a duty imposed by Allâh. And Allâh is All-Knower, All-Wise." (al-Tawbah 9:60)
According to many of the contemporary scholars, spending on Islamic schools is to be considered under the 8 categories of the zakat recipients. This is because da'wah in general is considered by many of the contemporary scholars to be worthy of zakat money under the category of "fi sabeel-el-laah" (In the cause of Allah) Though this is not the favorable opinion by the earlier scholars, it seems to be a more suitable interpretation for our times. Some scholars also argue that it is prescribed to give money to those whose hearts are to be reconciled. They say that protecting the capital (the already Muslim children) is more worthy than gaining profit (which is causing the conversion of non-Muslims by extending kindness to them). If you have an affluent community, then they should spend on the Islamic schools from money other than the zakat, since the vast majority of the earlier scholars considered the category of (in the cause of Allah) to pertain to jihad. If your community is not capable or the school could not secure the necessary funds, then it would be acceptable to take from the zakat money for the various purposes of the school. Allah knows best.
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