Giving Zakah to a maid to perform 'Umrah

27-4-2011 | IslamWeb

Question:

There is a female (housemaid) who deserves zakat and is desirous to perform Umrah. Can she be given zakat if she intends to arrange a trip of Umrah for herself from the ZAKAT money. Jazak Allah
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 ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

It is not permissible to pay Zakah to anyone else other than the eight categories of people who are mentioned in the Quran and whom we clarified in Fataawa 86546 and 88368.

Therefore, if the mentioned maid is among the eight categories of people [who are mentioned in the above Fataawa], it is permissible to pay Zakah to her and she is entitled to dispose of it as she wishes: she may spend it in going for ‘Umrah, or on her needs of life and the like.

Allaah Knows best.

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