Carrying out the right to zakat is the responsibility of the state

In the name of Allah, praise be to Allah, prayer and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah,

Allah Almighty has imposed on the rich Muslims a right in their wealth, which is zakat, which is spent on their poor. And Allah Almighty entrusted the responsibility of taking and collecting it to the ruler, the Almighty said: (Take alms from their wealth in order to purify them and purify them with it...), [Verse 103 of Surat al-Tawbah].

And based on this verse, the jurists decided that fulfilling the right of zakat is a trust that is incumbent on the guardian (the state). Imam Al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "The rulers cannot leave it to the people of the money, because they are trustees to take it from them to its people" [Al-Umm 3/204].

The state cannot abandon this responsibility; Likewise, it is not possible for the rich Muslims to withhold that right from the state so that it can spend it on the poor and others who deserve it.

Some may wonder that this Qur'anic verse is specific to the Prophet, may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him, and does not include those in authority who came after him! The imam, the jurist, the interpreter, Abu Bakr Ibn al-Arabi, may Allah have mercy on him, responded to this suspicion in his interpretation of the Almighty's saying: (Take alms from their wealth...) where he said: "As for their saying that this is a speech to the Prophet, may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him, no one else can follow it; it is ignorant talk." The Qur'an is unaware of the Sharia's take, manipulating religion." [Jami al-Ahkam by Ibn al-Arabi, in the interpretation of the verse].

So it became clear to us that the collection of zakat is the responsibility of the ruler - the state - and it is not permissible to transgress this responsibility without taking the official declaration of it.

One of the benefits and rulings of this great legislation is controlling that money and making sure that it is spent in the legally prescribed ways, and cutting off anyone who begged himself to loot this money and dispose of it in illegal matters.

On this issue, most of the jurists built that the zakat of apparent funds must be paid to the state; They justify this by the most important things:

1- The state is entrusted with zakat funds, and I know more about its expenditures than the owners of the funds, because they do not know the provisions of zakat and its expenditures often, and the reality bears witness to this. And all this to ensure that the right to zakat is fulfilled as fully as possible.

2- Paying zakat to the state and the licensing authorities; The owner of the money is discharged, the obligation is waived from him, and the good reward is established for him by simply paying it to the state and licensed institutions. For the possibility that zakat will go to someone who is not entitled to it.

And blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

Dr. Abdul Rahman Salman Al Hammadi

Director of Zakat Resources and Media Department

Zakat Fund