The Use and Misuse of Zakāh Funds by Religious Institutions in North America

Bibliographic Data

ID3307931
AuthorsYousef Aly Wahb (0000-0002-8794-640X, University of Chicago, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume14
Issue2
Pages164
Publication date2023-01-28
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel14020164
OpenAlexW4318475591
LanguageEN
References cited3

Despite being a foundational practice in Islam, deeply rooted in law and reflected in the theological and spiritual concepts of wealth and sustenance (rizq), discussions of applying obligatory alms (zakāh) rulings to majority non-Muslim countries are limited. The Muslim's spiritual attitude toward finances is informed by a theological view that all forms of wealth ultimately belong to God. Sunni Muslim theologians define rizq to be what one actually (not potentially) consumes and benefits from (not possesses), which, alongside plentiful verses and Prophetic traditions, continuously motivate philanthropic giving without fearing scarcity. This article aims to investigate some major issues resulting from the unregulated procedures of zakāh collection and disbursement as practiced by North American Muslim organizations and religious leaders. The article (1) doctrinally analyzes how North American practices diverge from the rules of Islamic law (fiqh) regarding zakāh distribution, (2) examines the ramifications of contemporary Eastern-Western legal opinions (fatāwā) expanding the eligibility of charitable institutions to receive zakāh, and (3) investigates the practices of administering zakāh resources

Economics · Ingenuity · Islam · Political science · Scarcity · Sociology · Sustenance · Theology · Waqf · Islamic Finance and Banking Studies · Islamic Studies and History · Law · Philosophy · Religion, Society, and Development

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access