into the ʿīnah sale that is prohibited by the Sharīʿah, for it is a ruse for usury and therefore an unlawful contract.

Fourth: In reaching this decision, the Council recommends that Muslims practice what Allah, exalted is He, has legislated for His servants in the form of the qarḍ ḥasan (benevolent loan) from the best of their wealth, offered willingly in pursuit of Allah’s pleasure, without following it with reminders of favor or harm. This is one of the loftiest types of spending in the cause of Allah, for it embodies cooperation, mutual compassion, and mercy among Muslims, relieves their hardships, meets their needs, saves them from the burden of debt, and protects them from falling into unlawful transactions. The revealed texts that promise reward for the benevolent loan and urge it are many and well known. At the same time, the borrower must be characterized by faithfulness, proper repayment, and avoidance of procrastination.

May Allah shower abundant blessings and peace upon our master Muhammad, his family, and his Companions. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

10 – Hadith no. (712) demonstrates the lawfulness of dispatching zakah collectors, thereby manifesting this great ritual act of worship, enabling the ruler to fulfill his duty, clearing the liability of the negligent, and securing the due right of those entitled to it.

11 – It establishes the permissibility of the action of an unauthorized agent (fuḍūlī) once the owner ratifies it. In this case, the collector receives the zakah and exchanges inferior goods for superior ones without an explicit mandate from the ruler, and this was not objected to.

12 – It shows the permissibility of taking a truthful oath concerning a matter, even when one has not been asked to swear.

13 – It affirms the legitimacy of those in authority supervising the work of their officials, discussing their conduct, and directing them to what is right and proper.

14 – It indicates that zakah may be transferred from the locale of the wealth to another locale—even beyond the distance that allows shortening the prayer—and that it is not obligatory to distribute it in the place where it was collected, especially when there is benefit in doing so.