Repaying the debts due on the fund out of Zakah

Fatwa no. ( 21899 ) All praise be to Allah Alone, and peace and blessings be upon the Last of the Prophets! (Part No. 8; Page No. 406) To proceed:The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' has reviewed the question submitted to His Eminence, the Grand Mufty from the questioner: the chairman and members of the board of directors of the Fund of Lending Young People Wishing to Marry at the governorate of `Unayzah. The question has been referred to the Committee by the Secretariat General of the Council of Senior Scholars under no. 2208, dated 18/02/1422 A.H. The questioner has asked the following:A businessman from Saudi Arabia sold Al Manar Complex for Oil Burnings at a rate of two million, two hundred thousand riyals to the Fund of Lending Young People Wishing to Marry at the governorate of `Unayzah. The sale was made on credit on the condition that the price be paid fully within two years from the date of the contract of sale. Now the Fund owes this sum to the businessman, but it is entitled to benefit from the gains of this station during these two years.The question is: Is it permissible to pay off this debt to the businessman from the charities donated by benevolent people to the Fund?We hope Your Eminence to provide us with the answer to this question. May Allah reward you with the best!

After pondering over the question referred to the Committee, it answers saying that you are required to pay Zakah (obligatory charity) to the categories of Zakah recipients that Allah (Exalted be He) has specified, (Part No. 8; Page No. 407) i.e., the eight categories mentioned in the Words of Allah (Glorified be He) when He says: As-Sadaqât (here it means Zakât) are only for the Fuqarâ’ (poor), and the Masâkin (needy) and so on, to the end of the verse. Accordingly, it is not permissible to spend any of the money of Zakah to pay for the project you referred to, because it is not one of the categories stated in the quoted Qur'anic verse. Rather, it is one of the categories of other charity recipients that can be financed by donations and Sadaqah (voluntary charity).May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.