HARAAM ‘HAJ’ COLLECTIONS & ABUSE OF ZAKAAT
THE COLLECTIONS ARE HARAAM
THE ZAKAAT IS NOT DISCHARGED
Question
Please view the following appeal for funds and comment.
Haj collection for our Muazzin and his wife here in Richards Bay.
He has been accepted for Haj for this year from his home country Burundi.
The Haj package per person from Burundi is about $6250 which is around R120 000. So the total is at least R240 000 for the two of them. We have collected just about half of the total. This includes Zakat as our Muazzin is liable to receive it.
However we have come across a slight hurdle as they have sent us a message from Burundi asking us to confirm the package with full payment within the next 2 weeks.
I will send the poster which we have made and wherever you can assist us it will be really appreciated.” (End of appeal for funds)
People are collecting zakaat money as well as going on public collections to send zakaatable recipients on hajj. Is it permissible to collect money on behalf of persons on whom hajj is not Fardh? Is it permissible to contribute Zakaat for such collections?
ANSWER
Begging without valid Shar’i reason is haraam. It is haraam to beg money for a Nafl Hajj and Umrah. It is haraam to contribute any kind of funds towards this haraam begging project. It is doubly haraam to contribute Zakaat.
Zakaat is not discharged. There is no valid debt of the persons to be paid. The debts has in fact not yet been incurred. Thus this huge sum of money, which includes substantial amounts of Zakaat, will be given for a merrymaking luxury fun trip in the name of ‘Hajj’. And, this is among the Signs of Qiyaamah predicted by Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam). In this regard Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said:
“O Salmaan! The people (in the last of ages) will perform Hajj of this Bait (the Ka’bah). The rulers will be going for amusement and merrymaking; the wealthy will go for business; the poor will go for collecting money, and the Qurraa’ (Ulama and Qaaris) will go for riya (show) and fame.”
All categories of insincere people who use ibaadat for worldly and nafsaani objectives come within the purview of this and similar other Ahaadith. It also covers those molvis who take groups for Hajj
The degeneration and rot have reached the level where even the ‘poor’ and the rich are all going for a holiday, merrymaking, fun and amusement in the name of Hajj.
Collecting funds for so-called ‘poor’ persons to go for Hajj which is not incumbent on them, is a gross abuse of Amaanat and of the Zakaat funds, and the contributors towards these haraam collections are juhala (morons).
There is ghaalib zann (near certitude) that this muazzin is not entitled for Zakaat. He and his wife will be going for a merrymaking holiday trip. In all likelihood, he is not a pauper. He is not penniless. He is going for an expensive holiday. The R240,000 acquired in a haraam way will be only for paying the moron agent. Surely, the couple will not be going without a penny in their pockets. They will be having thousands of rands in their pockets for spending and enjoying themselves in the haraam malls which pollute the Holy Places.
Thus, they are not entitled for Zakaat funds.
Those who have contributed towards this haraam collection should understand that their Zakaat has not been discharged. Either reclaim the money or dig into your pockets to pay your Zakaat.
23 Rajab 1446 – 23 January 2025