Can one use Fidyah money to construct a water well in a poor area?

Published as Using fidyah money to construct a well

· 13 Muharram 1436 AH1 min readEnglish

Question

Can one use Fidyah money to construct a water well in a poor area?

Answer

This is impermissible. Fidya will only be discharged once it is given to a poor Muslim who is eligible for zakaat.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

باب المصرف أي مصرف الزكاة والعشر وأما خمس المعدن فمصرفه كالغنائم ( هو فقير وهو من له أدنى شيء ) ...ويشترط أن يكون الصرف ( تمليكا ) لا إباحة كما مر ( لا ) يصرف ( إلى بناء ) نحو ( مسجد و ) لا إلى ( كفن ميت وقضاء دينه ) أما دين الحي الفقير فيجوز لو بأمره ... ( ولا ) تدفع ( إلى ذمي ) لحديث معاذ (الدر المختار 2/339-350)

قال الشامي : باب المصرف قوله ( أي مصرف الزكاة والعشر ) يشير إلى هنا والمراد بالعشر ما ينسب إليه كما مر فيشمل العشر ونصفه المأخوذين من أرض المسلم وربعه المأخوذ منه إذا مر على العاشر أفاده ح وهو مصرف أيضا لصدقة الفطر والكفارة والنذر وغير ذلك من الصدقات الواجبة كما في القهستاني (رد المحتار 2/339)

Answered by
Mufti Zakaria Makada
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)
Questions about this ruling, answered only from the archive with sources.

Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.

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