Payment of Zakat as Stipends to Students

It has become a common practice that representatives of madrasas collect some amount of public donations under the head of Zakat and disburse the same on various expenditures of the institutions. The Zakat is normally deposited on the plea of poor students studying in them. Doubts have been casted on its validity, hence, the issue was discussed in the Fifth Seminar and the following judgement was passed.

16.1 The average of monthly expenditure per student should be sorted out from the overall expenditure on the boarding, lodging and education of the students and this amount be paid to the students from the Zakat fund either in cash or through cheques. The manager of the concerning Madrasa can also draw this amount from Zakat fund and deposit it in the Madrasa account, provided the student himself (in case he is major) or his guardian (in case the student is minor) gives such authority in writing at the time of his admission.