Zakat Guidelines

Barkat Foundation uses the following criteria for the utilization of Zakat donations for its social welfare projects:

Who is entitled to receive Zakat? 

There are eight groups of people on whom Zakat should be spent, as mentioned in the Quran (reference verses - 9:60, 2:215, 2:273, 17:26)

• The poor, meaning low-income or indigent.
• The needy, meaning someone who is in difficulty.
• Zakat administrators.
• Those whose hearts are to be reconciled, meaning new Muslims and friends of the Muslim community.
• Those in bondage (slaves and captives.
• The debt-ridden.
• In the cause of God.
• The wayfarer, meaning those who are stranded or traveling with few resources.

Who cannot be given Zakat? 

• Zakat cannot be given to parents, grandfather, etc., or to one's children and grandchildren. A husband and wife cannot give Zakat to each other.

• Zakat contributions cannot be given to such institutions or organizations who do not give the rightful recipients possession of Zakat, but instead use Zakat funds for construction, investment or salaries.

• Zakat cannot be given to non-Muslims. The same ruling applies to Waajib Sadaqah (obligatory charity), i.e., Sadaqatul Fitr, Kaffarah, Ush'r and Naz'r.
  Only Nafl Sadaqah (non-obligatory charity) can be given to non-Muslims.

• If one cannot determine whether the recipient is needy or not, then it is better to make certain before giving him Zakat, which our team determines as per our application protocol. If Zakat is given without inquiry and subsequently it is known that the recipient is wealthy the Zakat is not valid. It has to be given again.

• Zakat will not be fulfilled by purchasing books for an institution, or land purchased for public utility.

• Zakat cannot be used for the shrowd of a deceased person who has no heirs, because at that time the heirs cannot become the owner.

• A dead person's debt cannot be paid from Zakat.
   
• Zakat cannot be given to someone belonging to the Prophet's (PBUH) progeny (Syeds).