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Fatwa CenterReceiving Zakah as education fees for a child
Question
Ass salaam alykum,I want to put my child in an islamic school which gives both modern & islamic education including q'uran hafeza but the problem is this school is charging a very high fees approx 300 us$ per month,some how when we ask for concession they say you pay according to your ablity rest we will fulfill by zakah which they are getting from our community, my question is I am having a business and own couple of property for the same purpose and ALHAMDULILLAH having my own resident as well me my self pay zakah every year by grace of ALLAH,suppose if I pay 200 us$ and rest they will fullfil by zakah, will my child eligable for that zakah please reply Jazakallah.
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.
Zakah [obligatory charity] should be spent only in the eight specified categories of Zakah, and we have previously clarified them in Fatwa 88368; but scholars are of the opinion that it is permissible to give Zakah to the seeker of knowledge, since seeking knowledge is a type of “Jihaad in the Way of Allaah”, which is one of the eight categories of spending Zakah.
However, the father’s spending on the education of his child is part of his obligatory expenditure. So, the scholars of Fiqh (jurisprudence) have stated that it is incumbent upon the parent to educate his child, help him learn a profession whereby he earns his living (in the future), and teach him his religious duties. Hence, to spend on the education of your child is part of the expenditure that is obligatory upon you. Therefore, if you are capable of paying it, then your child is not included in those people entitled to receive Zakah, and it is not permissible for the school to pay on his behalf from the money of Zakah. But if you are incapable, then it is permissible for the school to pay the remaining sum due on your child from the Zakah. If you have the capability to pay some and not all of the required sum, then it is permissible for the school to pay from Zakah what you fail to pay.
Allaah Knows best.
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