Zakatul-fitr: Payment at place of
residence or back home?
Q739 :Is it true that we should pay zakatul-fitr in
the place where we have sighted the moon of Shawal? Many of us
expatriates arrange for that zakah to be paid in our home countries.
One reason why we do that is because we cannot identify genuine
beneficiaries of zakah here. Back home, there are many poor and needy
people. Is it acceptable if we send our zakah to be paid to its
beneficiaries back home.
A739 : It is normal procedure to pay zakah where one
lives. If you are normally resident in this country, you should pay
zakah here. However, there are many cases where expatriates work in a
well off country. It is difficult to find poor people who suffer from
poverty. In such a situation, there is no harm in sending your zakah to
be paid in your home country, provided you are pretty certain that the
poor of the place you live can be easily looked after. This is not a
case which applies to Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries, but many Muslims
living in Europe or America also do likewise.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News - Jeddah )