when a person sells the fruit of his orchard or the produce of his field: in that case, giving one-tenth of the price in dirhams is sufficient; he is not required to go out and buy dates or wheat, for he has already put the poor on an equal footing with himself. Aḥmad expressly allowed this. Likewise, if a sheep becomes due on his camels yet he does not have a sheep, paying its cash value is enough, and he is not obliged to travel in order to purchase one. Or, if the entitled recipients themselves ask for the cash equivalent because it is more useful to them, this is permissible.”

His words under the heading “May an able-bodied earner be given from zakat?”: “Al-Nawawī said: Al-Nazzālī was asked about a strong man from a respected family who is not accustomed to earning his living by manual labor—may he take from the share allotted to the poor? He answered: Yes, and this is correct, on the basis that what counts is an occupation suited to him.”

I say: Whatever the trade, however humble, it is more honorable for a Muslim and better for him than idleness or stretching out his hand to people who may give or withhold. In my view, the consideration just mentioned must not be used to qualify the Prophet’s ﷺ statement: “Charity is not lawful … for a strong, able-bodied person.” Reflect on this.

His words under the heading “In the cause of Allah”: “Pilgrimage is not among the avenues of ‘in the cause of Allah’ to which zakat may be directed.”

I say: On the contrary, it is included among the paths of Allah by the explicit wording of a hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, for Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:

The Messenger of Allah intended to perform Hajj. A woman said to her husband, “Take me for Hajj with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” He replied, “I have nothing on which to take you.” She said, “Take me on such-and-such of your camels.” He said, “That one is kept in the cause of Allah.” So he went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, “My wife conveys to you peace and the mercy of Allah. She asked me to perform Hajj with you and said, ‘Take me for Hajj with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’ I said… She then said, ‘Take me on such-and-such of your camels,’ and I replied, ‘That one is kept in the cause of Allah.’”