FatwaNegeri SembilanZakat
Zakat/fidyah
Who are the poor (fakir) and needy (miskin) eligible to receive fidyah, and is a student who relies on zakat and loans eligible?
Short answer
Fidyah must be given to the needy (miskin), and the destitute (fakir) are included by analogy because their condition is more serious.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Negeri Sembilan Mufti Department
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Soal Jawab Agama
- Topic
- Zakat
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Fidyah must be given to the needy (miskin), and the destitute (fakir) are included by analogy because their condition is more serious. Fidyah may not be given to anyone without knowing their circumstances, and verse 184 of surah al-Baqarah mentions only the needy, not the other categories of zakat recipients. A fakir is a person with no wealth or income, or income below 50% of the sufficiency level, while a miskin has income above 50% of that level but still insufficient. The student in this case is stated to fall under the Riqab category, who is eligible to receive zakat.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Fidyah tidak boleh diberi kepada mana-mana individu tanpa mengetahui kedudukannya.
Read the full fatwa on the Negeri Sembilan website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Negeri Sembilan Mufti Department. “Zakat/fidyah”, date not stated. https://muftins.gov.my/soaljawab/zakat-fidyah/. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/who-is-eligible-to-receive-fidyah/