Am I eligible to receive Zakaat

Assalaamu alaikum wrwb

Respected Mufti saheb

Some family members have moved to a new town and are struggling to start up a business. At the moment, their debts are substantially more than the money they have, to the extent that they only have a little savings left for rent for a month or 2.

Is it permissible to use zakaat money to pay for the school fees of their baligh son who is in a private school?

Alternatively, are they eligible for zakaat?

Jazakallah kheir

Answer

Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh

Your email below refers.

If their assets minus their debts is either equal to or less than the Nisaab amount of R 4 733.54, then they are technically eligible to receive zakat.

However one should consider the true spirit of zakat. People who are wealthy and have their children at private schools cannot be termed as poor in the general sense of the word. Therefore if zakat is given to these family members, that zakat will be discharged but it will be against the spirit of zakat. The spirit of zakat requires that those on the truly bottom end of society, those who are struggling with the basics of life, should be the ones who receive the zakat.

And Allah Ta’ala knows best.

Was salaam

Emraan Vawda