Under what necessity is the purchase of Zakat property from the recipient permissible?

Chapter on Zakat on Sheep

Al-Mughni

Book of Zakat

Book 8 · Issue 3 · Bab 3

Open in Qurani

Primary text

The prohibition on purchasing the Zakat property from the recipient is lifted when necessity dictates it, such as when the obligatory share is a part of an animal that the poor person cannot benefit from alone, and the original owner is the only potential buyer to prevent harm from bad co-ownership with another party. Similarly, if the Zakat due on palm fruits is fresh dates and grapes, and the collector must sell them before harvest, selling to the original owner is permissible. The basis for this exception is that the initial prohibition against buying was established solely to prevent harm to the poor. When preventing the sale in these specific circumstances causes greater harm to the poor recipient, removing the restriction by allowing the sale is deemed superior.