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:

can we give zakat in the form of new or old clothes?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Zakat in the form of clothes

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 no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Beloved Sister in Islam, in light of the guidance of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws), the jurists in Islam are of the opinion that the obligatory zakah dues must be paid either in a convertible currency (cash), or in the commodity one holds as assets on which the zakah is calculated.

For example if the assets of one are camels, cows, or sheep, etc….it is permissible in Islam for them to pay a portion of their number of cattle as zakah dues, or in cash. Similarly, if one has assets in gold or silver, one may pay their zakah in gold or silver.

Thus, if one is in the clothing business, or holds inventory of clothes over which zakah is due…such a person has the option of paying his zakah dues from his inventory of clothes or in cash.

But for one whose assets are not in clothes, the scholars and jurists are of the opinion that one cannot pay their obligatory zakah by giving their used or new clothes; they may pay their zakah either in cash, or pay it in the commodity of the assets they hold.

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