Pilgrimage: With zakah money

Q445 :Can pilgrimage be performed with zakah money? Many people back home ask for zakah funds to pay for their pilgrimage.


A445 : One of the purposes of zakah funds is that mentioned under the heading "for the service of Allah's cause," which is included among the beneficiaries of zakah. Scholars have interpreted this as to help those who fight for Allah's cause and those who want to travel to pilgrimage. With this view in mind, it is permissible for a person to receive zakah money in order to meet some of the expenses of his pilgrimage journey. Having said that, I must point out that pilgrimage is obligatory only to a person who is able to undertake the journey. The conditions of ability include financial status. A person who does not have enough money to pay for his journey and to maintain his family during his absence is unable to make the pilgrimage. Therefore, the duty of pilgrimage does not apply to him.


Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News - Jeddah )