Is it permissible to give the whole zakah to one person? Or, is it better to give it to several people?
Dear Brother / Sister,
Zakah can be given to one person or more than one person.
According to Hanafis and Shafiis, it is permissible to give enough zakah to the poor and the needy people to meet their needs.
According to Hanafis, if zakah is divided into very small amounts when it is given to several people, it is more appropriate to give the whole zakah to one person. For instance, zakah can be given to a poor person who got into debt in order to get married as a whole to meet his needs.
It is permissible to give a person nisab amount of money or more as zakah but it is makruh. However, if there is more than one poor person in a family that zakah is given, it is not makruh to give an amount of zakah to this family that will not make each of them rich by taking into consideration all of the members of the family.
Besides, it is not makruh to give a debtor enough money to pay his debts and that will not be as much as nisab amount.
On the other hand, zakah does not have to be given as a whole. It can be given by installments during the year.
Questions on Islam
- How is Zakah Paid?
- For whom is Zakah fard? Will you give information about the ways of giving zakah, conditions for being liable to pay zakah, the time to give zakah and to whom to give zakah?
- Does a person who is in debt have to give zakah and sadaqah?
- To whom is zakah given? Can we deduct the things that we give as gifts from the amount of zakah?
- Can long-term debts be subtracted while calculating zakah?
- Does zakah have to be paid for the money that is saved to buy a house, get married or establish a business?
- Can I give zakah in advance before a year is completed?
- Can a person who has not paid his debt of zakah give sadaqah?
- Is zakah paid for the money that has been inherited?
- How is zakah for a house, plot of land and construction calculated? I am a builder. How should I calculate my earnings and give zakah? I construct apartment buildings and sell flats.
