Does zakah taken by an unjust ruler discharge the obligation?
2026-10-14
T200 · Ibn Taymiyyah
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah
شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن تيمية
Original Q&A · Complete source question and answer
Complete original question and answer, 25/81. Voluntary payment and compelled payment under threat of harm are distinguished. Discharging the payer's obligation does not excuse the ruler's misappropriation.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
وسئل رحمه الله عن زكاة العشر وغيره يأخذها السلطان، يصرفها حيث شاء، ولا يعطيها للفقراء والمساكين: هل يسقط الفرض بذلك أم لا؟
الجواب
أما ما يأخذه ولاة المسلمين من العشر وزكاة الماشية والتجارة وغير ذلك، فإنه يسقط ذلك عن صاحبه، إذا كان الإمام عادلا يصرفه في مصارفه الشرعية، باتفاق العلماء، فإن كان ظالما لا يصرفه في مصارفه الشرعية، فينبغي لصاحبه ألا يدفع الزكاة إليه، بل يصرفها هو إلى مستحقيها، فإن أكره على دفعها إلى الظالم، بحيث لو لم يدفعها إليه لحصل له ضرر، فإنها تجزئة في هذه الصورة عند أكثر العلماء.
وهم في هذه الحال ظلموا مستحقيها، كولي اليتيم، وناظر الوقف، إذا قبضوا ماله وصرفوه في غير مصارفه.
English translation
English translation prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic source. It is not an official translation.
Original question
He, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about the crop tithe and other zakah taken by the ruler, who spends it as he wishes and does not give it to the poor and needy: is the obligation discharged by this or not?
Answer
What Muslim rulers take as the crop tithe, zakah on livestock or trade, and other zakah discharges the owner's obligation by scholarly agreement if the ruler is just and distributes it through its lawful channels. If he is unjust and does not distribute it through those channels, the owner should not pay his zakah to him, but should distribute it himself to those entitled to it. If he is compelled to hand it to the unjust ruler, such that failing to do so would cause him harm, it discharges his obligation in this case according to most scholars.
In this situation, they have wronged those entitled to it, like an orphan's guardian or an endowment's administrator who takes possession of its funds and spends them outside their proper channels.
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 25/81
مجموع الفتاوى
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā
Arabic checked against the cited source and adjacent question boundaries. Diacritics and display marks omitted; honorific glyphs expanded. Titles and scope notes are editorial.