If the people in Hajj intend to precede their imam or lag behind him, that is permissible, even though مخالفة the one being followed is disliked. But if they deliberately oppose him in prayer, their prayer is invalid, because the prayer of the one being led is connected to that of the imam, whereas the people’s Hajj is independent of the imam’s Hajj.
Chapter: The Administration of Zakat
Zakat is due on wealth held for growth, either by its very nature or through work undertaken with it, as a purification for its owners and a means of support for those entitled to its shares. The wealth subject to zakat is of two kinds: apparent and hidden. Apparent wealth is that which cannot be concealed, such as crops, fruits, and livestock.
Hidden wealth is that which can be concealed, such as gold, silver, and trade goods. The administrator of zakat has no authority over zakat due on hidden wealth; its owners have the greater right to pay it themselves. If, however, they voluntarily offer it to him, he may accept it from them and assist them in distributing it. His authority is restricted to zakat on apparent wealth. The owners of such wealth are instructed to pay it to him when he requests it, though if he does not request it, they may still pay it to him. It is preferable for the owners of the wealth to distribute it themselves; this is explicitly stated by Aḥmad. If the imam demands that they pay it to him, but they refuse and instead agree to distribute it themselves, he may not fight them. The stated position regarding fighting them is that they may be fought when they refuse to pay it, as reported by Manṣūr, al-Marwadhī, al-Maimūnī, and al-Athram.
The conditions required for this office are that the person be a Muslim, upright, and knowledgeable of the rulings of zakat if he is among the delegated administrators. In a report transmitted by Abū Ṭālib, when he asked Aḥmad, “May a Jew or a Christian be appointed to carry out the affairs of the Muslims, such as collecting the kharāj?” he replied, “They are not to be employed for anything.”
If, however, he is merely an executor whom the imam appoints to collect a specified amount, it is permissible for him not to be knowledgeable of its rulings. It is also permissible for those who are prohibited from receiving zakat—such as the Prophet’s close relatives and slaves—to hold this office and receive their provision from it, because what they take is remuneration for administering zakat; therefore, it is determined according to the extent of their work. Al-Khiraqī said: “Zakat may not be given to the Banū Hāshim, nor to a disbeliever or a slave, unless they are among those employed to administer it; then they are given in proportion to the work they have performed.”