On what zakat may be spent in madrasas

Question

(1) Is it permissible or impermissible to use zakat money to build rooms for the lodging of poor and destitute students, to buy tools for handicrafts, and to buy books for the madrasa library and lend them to students for a fixed period? (b) If a house is bought with zakat money so that stipends of aid are paid to poor students from its income, is this permissible or not? (2) Is it valid or not to pay the salaries of teachers and handicraft instructors from zakat money?

Answer

(1) For zakat money, tamlik — that is, making the one entitled to zakat its owner — is a condition. In building rooms, buying handicraft tools, and buying books to lend out, there is no tamlik to an entitled person; hence it is not valid to spend zakat money on such purposes. However, if tools, books and the like are bought and given by way of tamlik, this is valid.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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