Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (6/212)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

But if he does so, it is valid, unless the wealth is in a town where there are no poor people; in that case, he should distribute it in the nearest town to it. …

His statement, “But if he does so, it is valid,” means that if he transfers it to a distance at which prayer may be shortened or more, it is valid, though he incurs sin.

If someone were to ask: The principle according to us is that what is prohibited is invalid.

We reply: The prohibition here does not pertain to the act of giving itself; rather, it pertains to transferring it. Otherwise, it has been given to those entitled to it, and is therefore valid, while he is sinful for transferring it.

The prohibition that entails invalidity is that which pertains to the very essence of the act itself, such as the Prophet’s saying, “There is no prayer after the afternoon prayer” (1). Thus, if one prays, his prayer is invalid, except in those cases that have been excluded. There is a difference between a prohibition relating to the act of worship itself and one relating to something external to it.

His statement, “unless the wealth is in a town where there are no poor people; in that case, he should distribute it in the nearest town to it,” is an exception to his statement, “It is not permissible to transfer it to a place at which prayer may be shortened.”

The pronoun in his statement, “unless it is,” refers to “the wealth,” as indicated by his statement, “It is preferable to pay the zakat of each type of wealth”—meaning, unless the wealth is in a town where there are no poor people.

His statement, “where there are no poor people,” is based on what is most commonly the case. A more general wording would be: “unless it is in a town where there is no one entitled to zakat,” so as to include all the categories, for there may be no poor people there while there are others entitled to zakat for reasons other than poverty.

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari in Mawaqit al-Salah (Times of Prayer), chapter: “One should not deliberately pray before sunset” (586), and by Muslim in al-Salah (Prayer), chapter: “Times during which prayer is prohibited” (827), on the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him.

فَإِنْ فَعَلَ أجزَأت، إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي بَلَدٍ لَا فُقَرَاءَ فِيهِ فَيُفَرِّقُهَا فِي أقْرَبِ البِلاد إِليهِ ........ قوله: «فإن فعل أجزأت» أي: إن نقلها إلى مسافة القصر فأكثر أجزأت، ولكنه يأثم. فإذا قال قائل: القاعدة عندنا أن المحرم لا يجزئ. فنقول: التحريم هنا ليس عائداً على الدفع، بل عائد على النقل وإلا فقد دفعت إلى أهلها فتجزئ، ويكون آثماً للنقل. والتحريم الذي يقتضي الفساد هو ما عاد على عين الشيء مثل قوله ﷺ: «لا صلاة بعد العصر» (١) فإن صلى فلا تصح صلاته إلا ما استثني، فهناك فرق بين أن يتعلق التحريم بنفس العبادة، وأن يتعلق بأمر خارج عنها. قوله: «إلا أن يكون في بلد لا فقراء فيه فيفرقها في أقرب البلاد إليه» هذا مستثنى من قوله: «ولا يجوز نقلها إلى ما تقصر فيه الصلاة». والضمير في قوله: «إلا أن يكون» يعود إلى «المال» بدليل قوله: «والأفضل إخراج زكاة كل مال»، يعني إلا أن يكون المال في بلد لا فقراء فيه. وقوله: «لا فقراء» هذا مبني على الأغلب، والعبارة العامة أن يقول: إلا أن يكون في بلد لا مستحق للزكاة فيه، من أجل أن يشمل جميع الأصناف؛ لأنه قد لا يكون فيه فقراء، ويكون فيه مستحق بغير الفقر.

(١) أخرجه البخاري في مواقيت الصلاة/ باب لا يتحرى الصلاة قبل غروب الشمس (٥٨٦) ومسلم في الصلاة/ باب الأوقات التي نهي عن الصلاة فيها (٨٢٧) عن أبي سعيد الخدري ﵁.