Fatwa: # 18762
Category: Misc. Fiqh
Country: United Arab Emirates
Date: 23rd June 2010

Title

A muslim brother has to pay a huge amount of around Rs. 6.5 lakhs for her daughter's surgery (Cochlear Implantation Surgery), which he cannot afford by himself.

Question

Assalaamu 'alaikum Mufti Sahib,

A muslim brother has to pay a huge amount of around Rs. 6.5 lakhs for her daughter's surgery (Cochlear Implantation Surgery), which he cannot afford by himself. I'd like to know whether the zakaat amount can be utilised to contribute for this noble cause, though the deserving person may not be eligible for zakaat for his normal living.

Answer

 

In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful


Assalāmu ῾alaykum wa Rahmatullāhi Wabarakātuh

 

If the daughter has reached the age of maturity (puberty) and is herself eligible to receive Zakaah (i.e. she doesn't possess the amount of nisaab), then the money can be handed over to her ownership.1

 

Another option is for the father to take a loan for the 6.5 lakhs. If that loan of 6.5 lakhs takes his Zakaatable wealth below the value of Nisaab (i.e. because of the loan he no longer remains Sahib-Nisaab), he will then be eligible to receive 6.5 lakhs in Zakaat money to pay off his debt..2

 

May Allah grant her full and complete recovery. Ameen.

 

And Allāh Ta῾āla Knows Best
Wassalāmu ῾alaykum

 

Ml. Sohail Bengali
Correspondence Iftā Student, US.

Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Dārul Iftā

1           Bahishti Zewar, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahmatullahi alayhi), Part VII, pg. 115, Publisher: Saeed International

2              والغارم من لزمه دين أو له دين على الناس لا يقدر على أخذه وليس عنده نصاب 

               حاشية رد المحتار - ابن عابدين ج:٢ ص: ٣٧٥، دار الفكر بيروت - لبنان

DISCLAIMER - AskImam.org questions
AskImam.org answers issues pertaining to Shar'ah. Thereafter, these questions and answers are placed for public view on www.askimam.org for educational purposes. However, many of these answers are unique to a particular scenario and cannot be taken as a basis to establish a ruling in another situation or another environment. Askimam.org bears no responsibility with regards to these questions being used out of their intended context.
  • The Shar's ruling herein given is based specifically on the question posed and should be read in conjunction with the question.
  • AskImam.org bears no responsibility to any party who may or may not act on this answer and is being hereby exempted from loss or damage howsoever caused.
  • This answer may not be used as evidence in any Court of Law without prior written consent of AskImam.org.
  • Any or all links provided in our emails, answers and articles are restricted to the specific material being cited. Such referencing should not be taken as an endorsement of other contents of that website.
The Messenger of Allah said, "When Allah wishes good for someone, He bestows upon him the understanding of Deen."
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]