Is Our Zakat Fund for Abuse Survivors Properly Structured?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question

We are setting up a Zakat fund to give direct financial help to eligible Muslim survivors of domestic abuse and modern slavery who are facing hardship.

We assess beneficiaries as al-fuqara (the poor) or al-masakin (the needy), using signs such as legal homelessness or reliance on Universal Credit or Home Office MSVCC support. Is this the right approach?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

May Allah reward you greatly for directing zakat to some of the most vulnerable in our community. This is a noble and much-needed effort.

The cause you mention is fully within the purpose of zakat, and your approach is sound if three conditions are met.

First, every payment must be a true transfer of ownership (tamlik) to an eligible Muslim.

Second, your indicators must truly show Shariah eligibility, not just benefit status.

Third, the fund’s running costs should not be paid from zakat itself. Let us look at each point in turn.

The Cause Is Squarely Within Zakat’s Purpose

Allah Most High names those to whom zakat is due: “The due alms are but for those stricken with poverty, the helpless who are in need, the alms workers, the weak in faith whose hearts are to be won, those buying their freedom from slavery, those debt-ridden, for doing battle in the path of Allah, and for the traveller impoverished on the road: A binding obligation from Allah.” [Quran 9:60; Keller, The Quran Beheld]

Survivors of abuse and slavery who are in genuine hardship fall under the poor (al-fuqara) and the needy (al-masakin) — and where a survivor is burdened by debt, the debt-ridden (al-gharimun). Directing zakat to them is precisely its Quranic intent.

The Load-Bearing Condition: Transfer of Ownership (Tamlik)

The heart of a valid zakat payment, in the Hanafi school, is tamlik — that the wealth pass into the unconditional ownership of an eligible recipient.

Ibn Abidin states that its very pillar is “the transfer of ownership of wealth to a poor Muslim,” and that “mere feeding does not suffice except by way of transferring ownership” (tamlikan, fa-la yakfi fiha al-itʿam illa bi-tariq al-tamlik). [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

On this basis, he rules that zakat may not be spent on what involves no transfer of ownership — “a mosque, bridges, water-stations, repairing roads, digging rivers… and everything in which there is no tamlik,” nor on shrouding the dead or paying a deceased’s debt, “for the transfer of ownership cannot validly occur” there. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, quoting al-Zaylaʿi]

For your fund, the key principle is that it is only a means, not the final recipient. Each grant must give full ownership to the individual.

This can be done by giving cash directly, or by paying for goods, rent, or bills on their behalf as their agent. The fund should not treat zakat as its own money or use it for its own operations. The ownership must be transferred to the eligible person.

Do the Indicators Establish Eligibility?

Eligibility is a Shariah threshold, not merely an administrative one. In the Hanafi school the poor person (faqir) is “one who owns less than a growing nisab, surplus to his debt,” and the needy (miskin) is “one who has nothing at all”; possessions tied up in one’s basic needs — a home to live in, tools of one’s trade, and the like — do not disqualify a person, for they are “absorbed in need.” [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

So, relying on Universal Credit, MSVCC support, or legal homelessness is a strong sign. Still, the best practice is to use these as pointers, and then confirm with the actual Shariah measure: the person must own less than the nisab after their basic needs are met.

A simple check at intake can confirm this. The recipient must also be Muslim. Ibn Abidin links the transfer to being from a Muslim, and warns against giving to the wealthy or non-Muslims.

Administration, the ʿAmil, and Who Is Excluded

Your fund’s running costs are a separate matter. Operating expenses should not be paid from the zakat pool. The only Quranic category for administration is the alms worker (al-ʿamil).

Ibn Abidin explains that the ʿamil is someone appointed by the ruler to collect zakat, who must be free and Muslim, and is paid a fair wage for the work. A modern charity collecting voluntary zakat usually does not fit this category.

The best way is to fund your administration and overheads from general sadaqa or separate donations. The zakat pool should be kept only for direct transfer to eligible individuals.

A Sound and Beautiful Work

In summary, your fund is on solid ground. If you secure these four things, your work will be both valid and excellent: make sure each grant is a true transfer of ownership to the individual; confirm that the person is truly below the nisab and is Muslim, beyond just the benefit indicators; fund your operations from sadaqa, not zakat; and give out the zakat without unnecessary delay.

When built in this way, every pound reaches a poor believer as the Quran intends. The reward for helping those who have suffered abuse or slavery is, by Allah’s grace, immense. May Allah bless your work and all who give, and may He heal those you serve.

And Allah knows best.

[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani

Related Answers

• Eligible Zakat Recipients and the Proper Handling of Donations
  Explains who may lawfully receive Zakat and outlines the principles governing its collection, distribution, and charitable handling.
• Zakat: How to Calculate and Whom to Give
  A practical guide to calculating Zakat correctly and identifying those who are eligible to receive it.
• The Fiqh of Zakat: Benefit, Intention, and Calculation
  Examines the legal principles of Zakat, including ownership, intention, eligibility, and the methods of calculating one’s due obligation.
• How the Islamic Scholars Fund Handles Your Zakat
  Details the policies and procedures through which the Islamic Scholars Fund receives, administers, and distributes Zakat in accordance with Sacred Law.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani is a recognized specialist scholar in the Islamic sciences, having studied under leading scholars from around the world. He is the Founder and Executive Director of SeekersGuidance.

Shaykh Faraz stands as a distinguished figure in Islamic scholarship. His journey in seeking knowledge is marked by dedication and depth. He spent ten years studying under some of the most revered scholars of our times. His initial studies took place in Damascus. He then continued in Amman, Jordan.

In Damascus, he was privileged to learn from the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas. Shaykh Adib al-Kallas was renowned as the foremost theologian of his time. Shaykh Faraz also studied under Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi in Damascus. Shaykh Hassan is recognized as one of the leading Hanafi jurists of our era.

Upon completing his studies, Shaykh Faraz returned to Canada in 2007. His return marked a new chapter in his service to the community. He founded SeekersGuidance. The organization reflects his commitment to spreading Islamic knowledge. It aims to be reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible. This mission addresses both online and on-the-ground needs.

Shaykh Faraz is also an accomplished author. His notable work includes “Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School.” This book, published by White Thread Press in 2004, is a significant contribution to Islamic literature.

His influence extends beyond his immediate community. Since 2011, Shaykh Faraz has been recognized as one of the 500 most influential Muslims. This recognition comes from the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center. It underscores his impact on the global Islamic discourse.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani’s life and work embody a profound commitment to Islamic scholarship. His teachings continue to enlighten and guide seekers of knowledge worldwide.