Certification For Zakat Collectors Only Valid In States Under Religious Council Jurisdiction

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- The certification issued by state Islamic religious councils (MAINs) to individuals and organisations as zakat (tithe) collectors are deemed valid under Islamic law, but it is only applicable within the jurisdiction of each MAIN, according to the Muzakarah Committee of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) chairman Datuk Dr Nooh Gadut.

He said any certification or appointment allowing collectors or agents to collect zakat outside the state's jurisdiction is invalid under Islamic law and contradicts the zakat laws in the respective states.

Nooh said that the matter was one of the four resolutions agreed upon during the 125th Muzakarah Committee meeting held from Sept 24 to 26.

He said the transfer of zakat funds to other states by those appointed as collectors or agents is also deemed invalid as it contradicts the provisions of the state zakat laws because the location where the zakat is collected lies outside the jurisdiction of the state and the MAIN issuing the certification.

"…it also goes against the conditions that allow zakat to be transferred under Islamic law," he said in a statement today.

According to him, the meeting also concluded that according to Islamic law, it is deemed invalid to return part of the zakat collected to the collectors based on the principle of wages because the fund is collected outside the jurisdiction of the state that issued the certification.

"Under Islamic law, it is not valid because they are not considered as collectors in that state," he said.

The meeting also agreed that Islamic law deems paying zakat to parties not certified as collectors or agents invalid.

He said that the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), as the coordinating body for the MKI, had presented all these views to the Perak Sultan, Sultan Nazrin Shah, who is MKI chairman, adding that the views were then presented at the 267th Meeting Conference of Rulers held on Oct 23 to 24.

"The Conference of Rulers took note of the opinions that have been agreed on, and the state authorities may consider this decision to enact a fatwa in their respective states," he added.

-- BERNAMA