Thanks for doing this research! To get all of this out on the record (e.g., for future people interested in the topic), I was wondering if you had found anything out about the following questions:
Is funding the cash-transfer component of conditional cash transfers to Muslims permissible (e.g., New Incentives)?
Is funding the provision of non-cash goods to Muslims permissible (e.g., bednets)?
Is funding a portion of a cash-transfer program permissible under a statistical theory—e.g., if 70% of the target beneficiary population is Muslim, and other donors have earmarked funds for non-Muslims, is it permissible to give zakat to meet (e.g.) 60% of the costs of all transfers under the theory that the rest are being paid from non-zakat funds?
Of course, I know there is no single authoritative interpreter who can answer these questions for all Muslims. I also know that issues may arise insofar as paying administrative expenses.
Hi—good questions, and things I’ve been trying hard to find out.
I think most scholars would say this is dubious but maybe acceptable depending on what the context is. I’ve come across mixed reactions when I’ve explained NI’s model
Its unideal and pretty uncommon—the vast majority of zakat is cash, and in rare cases its emergency supplies like food, water, and medical supplies in disaster regions.
I haven’t asked this question specifically to anybody (because I hadn’t really considered it as an option) but my intuition from all the other discussions about recipient eligibility would lead me to think that this would generally not be certified as zakat-compliant by a mainstream org.
Thanks for doing this research! To get all of this out on the record (e.g., for future people interested in the topic), I was wondering if you had found anything out about the following questions:
Is funding the cash-transfer component of conditional cash transfers to Muslims permissible (e.g., New Incentives)?
Is funding the provision of non-cash goods to Muslims permissible (e.g., bednets)?
Is funding a portion of a cash-transfer program permissible under a statistical theory—e.g., if 70% of the target beneficiary population is Muslim, and other donors have earmarked funds for non-Muslims, is it permissible to give zakat to meet (e.g.) 60% of the costs of all transfers under the theory that the rest are being paid from non-zakat funds?
Of course, I know there is no single authoritative interpreter who can answer these questions for all Muslims. I also know that issues may arise insofar as paying administrative expenses.
Hi—good questions, and things I’ve been trying hard to find out.
I think most scholars would say this is dubious but maybe acceptable depending on what the context is. I’ve come across mixed reactions when I’ve explained NI’s model
Its unideal and pretty uncommon—the vast majority of zakat is cash, and in rare cases its emergency supplies like food, water, and medical supplies in disaster regions.
I haven’t asked this question specifically to anybody (because I hadn’t really considered it as an option) but my intuition from all the other discussions about recipient eligibility would lead me to think that this would generally not be certified as zakat-compliant by a mainstream org.