The esteemed jurists have different opinions on the issue of the cost of transporting Zakāh funds outside the donor’s place of residence, where transportation costs are involved.
The majority of Shāfi῾ī and Ḥanbalī scholars hold that the cost of delivering Zakāh funds is borne by the donor, similar to other obligations such as prayer and pilgrimage, where the responsibility falls on the Muslim to cover the associated costs.
The Mālikīs agree that this applies if the Zakāh is being distributed within the donor’s country. However, if it is being sent to another country, the expense should be borne by the state treasury (bayt al-māl).
Our view is to distinguish between two scenarios:
- If the donor personally delivers the Zakāh to the deserving recipients, then the transportation costs are their responsibility. The obligatory Zakāh amount in their wealth is a right for the recipient, and they do not have the right to deduct any part of it for transportation.
- If the donor gives the Zakāh to an agent on their behalf, such as the state, a mosque, a relief organization, or even a person traveling to the recipient’s country, then it is permissible to deduct the transportation costs from the Zakāh funds. This is because the reduction did not occur from the donor’s side but is considered to benefit the recipient.
A question may arise: In the second scenario, when Zakāh is given to an agent (mosque or charitable organizations), does this count under the category of ‘those employed to collect and distribute Zakāh’? Can these expenses be included under this category?
We respond: There are specific conditions for ‘those employed to collect and distribute Zakāh’. Not every agent distributing Zakāh falls under this category. According to the Fourth Conference on Contemporary Zakāh Issues, this includes those appointed by Islamic authorities or authorized entities to collect and distribute Zakāh, raise awareness about Zakāh rulings, identify wealth holders and recipients, and manage transportation, storage, preservation, development, and investment of Zakāh funds.
Since mosques and institutions do not operate under the authority of a single entity, they must be recognized by the local community and society as Zakāh workers to qualify for a share of the Zakāh. If this is established, they are entitled to the share allocated for Zakāh workers; otherwise, they are merely agents and trustees.
It is important to note that a mosque or institution, as a legal entity, receives the share allocated for Zakāh workers, not the individual staff such as the imam, administration, or board of trustees. The same applies to charitable organizations.
This means that if the community agrees to consider a mosque or institution as Zakāh workers, they receive the share allocated to workers. Subsequently, they can use it for operational expenses and institutional costs.
It is also recommended to follow the Shāfi῾ī scholars’ opinion, which suggests distributing the collected funds among the existing deserving recipients and ensuring the share for Zakāh workers does not exceed that of the other recipients, as long as there are recipients present. Allāh knows best.
Fatwā issues by Dr. Khālid Naṣr
