Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Due to some personal financial problems I am paying approximately 300,000 INR in Interest, the loan has taken by father and I am helping hime to recover that by paying the above money.

Whether paying interest to help my parents out can be considered as zakat,Please explain?

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Answer:

Can interest be zakat father

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Statement: Due to some personal financial problems I am paying approximately 300,000 INR in Interest, the loan has taken by father and I am helping hime to recover that by paying the above money.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 274-276:

But those who devour ‘riba’ become like the one whom Shaitaan has bewitched and maddened by his touch. They have been condemned to this condition because they say, “Trade is just like ‘riba”, whereas Allah has made trade halaal and ‘riba’ haraam. Henceforth, if one abstains from taking ‘riba’ after receiving this admonition from his Lord, no legal action shall be taken against him regarding the ‘riba’ he had devoured before: his case shall ultimately go to Allah. But if one repeats the same crime even after this, he shall go to Hell, where he shall abide for ever! Allah deprives ‘riba’ of all blessing and develops charity, and Allah does not like an ungrateful, sinful person.

Allah says further in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 278:

O Believers!, fear Allah and give up that ‘riba’ which is still due to you, if you are true believers. But if you do not do so, then you are warned of the declaration of war against you by Allah and His Messenger!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verse 161:

That they took ‘riba’, although they were forbidden. And that they devoured men’s substance wrongfully. We have prepared for those among them who reject faith a grievous punishment (of Hell Fire)!

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2829 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib

Ali said he heard Allah's Messenger (saws) invoke the curse of Allah on those who took usury, those who paid it, those who recorded it, and those who refused to give sadaqah.

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, one cannot over-emphasize how detested and hated is the concept of ‘riba’ or interest in the Sight of Allah Subhanah; so much so that those who indulge themselves in the evil of ‘riba’ are warned against a declaration of war by Allah and His Messenger (saws)!!!!

Your Question: Whether paying interest to help my parents out can be considered as zakat,Please explain?

Firstly beloved brother, one should fear Allah and strive to absolutely stay away and abstain from indulging themselves in the taking or paying of interest; for without an iota of a doubt, Allah and His Messenger (saws) have declared the very concept of ‘riba’ as absolutely unlawful for the believers.

Sahih Muslim Hadith 2214 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘O people, Allah is Good and He, therefore, accepts only that which is good!’

Secondly brother, in light of the above authentic narration, Allah Subhanah is Good and Pure, and He accepts only that which is good and pure. When one pays one,s obligatory ‘zakah’ dues, one’s intention is to purify their balance wealth by assigning a share from their lawfully earned wealth for the poor and the needy amongst society. To pay one dues of ‘zakah’ from something which has been categorically declared as forbidden and ‘haraam’ by Allah and His Messenger (saws) would not purify one’s balance wealth in the least!

And thirdly brother, one cannot pay one’s zakah dues to those whose financial upkeep is their duty and responsibility (father, mother, wife, children, etc.).

Allah Subhanah has Commanded that Zakah can only be paid unto the following eight categories:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 60:

60 Alms are for the poor, and the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds), for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to the Truth), for those in bondage and in debt, in the Cause of Allah, and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah and Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom.

Allah Subhanah has prescribed that ‘zakah’ should be paid to any of the above eight listed categories:

1. To the poor
2. To the needy
3. To those who are employed to administer the zakah funds
4. To those whose hearts have recently been reconciled to the Truth of Islam (new-muslims)
5. For those in bondage
6. For those in debt
7. In the Cause of Allah
8. To the way-farer or traveler

Allah Subhanah has Commanded and Guided the believers that Zakaah may be distributed to any of the above eight categories only; for all other categories, one may help them through voluntary and supererogatory charity or sadaqa, but not through Zakah funds.

A father or a parent is not eligible to receive ‘zakah’ from their off-spring’s wealth; but one must spend on them from their balance wealth.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan