Can Zakat Be Given to Palestine? What Scholars Say

Whether zakat can be given to Palestine is a question scholars answer differently, and the difference is about where zakat may be paid, not about who deserves help. This guide sets out the Syafi'i position that MUIS's Muslim.sg portal gives Singapore Muslims, how the other three schools differ, the permissive fatwa of Egypt's Dar al-Ifta, and a middle way some scholars suggest.

1Can zakat be given to Palestine?

Zakat must reach the eight asnaf, the recipients named in the Quran, as Muslim.sg¹ reminds readers.

A poor or needy family in Gaza can belong to those categories like a poor family anywhere else. So the real question is whether a Singapore Muslim may move zakat out of Singapore to reach them.

On that, the schools of law differ:

• Syafi'i: zakat goes to the asnaf of your home country as long as they exist there (Muslim.sg).
• Hanbali: the same restriction, as Dr Zulkifli Al-Bakri summarises it: no transfer to a country at qasar distance.
• Maliki: a similar restriction, with an exception for people in need in another country.
• Hanafi: moving zakat is disliked (makruh) unless it serves a clear benefit.

Some contemporary authorities, such as Egypt's Dar al-Ifta, permit zakat for Palestinian relief outright. Each view is explained below with its source.

2What is the Syafi'i position Muslim.sg gives for Singapore?

Muslim.sg answers the question "Who should I give my zakat to?" in plain terms.

It acknowledges that people consider relatives, acquaintances, and local and overseas organisations, and then states:

"In the context of the Syafi'I school of thought, it is obligatory to give Zakat to the eight asnaf in your home country, as long as they still exist there."

Two words carry the ruling. "Obligatory" means this is a requirement in the school, not a preference. "As long as they still exist there" is the condition: the rule applies while there are eligible recipients at home, which is the case in Singapore.

The same guide explains how this works in practice. Under the Administration of Muslim Law Act, MUIS is the authorised body for the zakat system, it distributes the zakat it collects to all eight asnaf in accordance with Syariah, and it appoints Authorised Zakat Collection Centres, including mosques, every year. Muslim.sg therefore encourages Singapore Muslims to pay through those centres or ZakatSG.

3Which hadith is behind giving zakat locally?

Sahih al-Bukhari 1496³ records the Prophet's ﷺ instruction to Mu'adh when he sent him to Yemen.

He tells Mu'adh to teach the people "that Allah has made it obligatory on them to pay the Zakat which will be taken from the rich among them and given to the poor among them."

Another narration of the same instruction, Sahih al-Bukhari 1395⁴, says zakat "is to be taken from the wealthy among them and given to the poor."

Scholars who allow transfer read the same evidence differently. Egypt's Dar al-Ifta says its permission to move zakat across borders is also based on the precedent of the Prophet and his Companions.

4How do the four schools differ on moving zakat abroad?

Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, a former Malaysian Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for religious affairs, summarised the schools' positions when people asked him about zakat for Palestinians, as Sinar Harian⁷ reported.

Singapore to Palestine is far beyond the qasar distance, so under the Syafi'i and Hanbali summary the restriction applies. Dr Zulkifli's summary also reports the two exceptions: the Maliki school for people who need the zakat elsewhere, and the Hanafi school where a transfer serves a benefit, such as reaching relatives.

5Which authorities permit zakat for Palestinian relief?

Egypt's Dar al-Ifta has answered the question directly.

Asked whether zakat on money may be given to provide relief in Palestine with medicine and food, its fatwa of 20 January 2008⁵ replies:

"Yes, it is permissible to give your zakat on money to provide relief for our people in Palestine in the form of food, medicine, and complete support, in order to achieve a good life in all their affairs."

This is not a one-off. In an article on transferring zakat between countries⁶, Dar al-Ifta states that the permissibility of transferring zakat money from abroad has been its implemented opinion since 1946.

SedekahSGSedekahSG zakatRead how SedekahSG distributes zakat, then pay online if it fits the view you follow.Support now →

6Is there a middle way: local first, then Palestine?

Dr Zulkifli proposed an approach meant to honour both groups, local recipients and Palestinians, who in his words both clearly need the zakat.

If your zakat is a large amount, pay it first to your own state's Islamic religious council. Then, if the zakat authority gives payers a portion to distribute themselves under a wakalah scheme, that portion can be given to Palestine.

His suggestion was made for Malaysia, where state councils run such schemes. In Singapore, the closest equivalent question is one for MUIS or your ustaz: ask how a share of your zakat could reach Palestinians in a way your school accepts.

You can also help Gaza with sedekah on top of your zakat; ask your ustaz if you are unsure how to keep the two apart. You can explore SedekahSG's Palestine emergency appeal, for example the food pack.

7How do you pay zakat through SedekahSG?

If, after asking, you decide to pay zakat through SedekahSG, its zakat page states that zakat contributions are disbursed to the eight asnaf in accordance with Syariah.

A certificate is provided for contributions of S$1,000 and above. For questions about how a project works, use the SedekahSG contact page.