Are madrasas a bayt al-mal?

Question

In this age, are madrasas a bayt al-mal (public treasury) as in the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? Do hungry poor people also have a right in it? Can grain and the like be given as a loan or as charity, just as help was given from the bayt al-mal in the time of the Prophet ﷺ?

Answer

Fully, these are not a bayt al-mal, because on behalf of the bayt al-mal the ‘ashir, the sa‘i and the musaddiq (collectors) were appointed, who, in accordance with the law of the Shari‘a, collected zakat and the like on apparent wealth (amwal zahira) and handed it over.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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