The Eligibility of Forcibly Displaced Persons for Zakah: A Contemporary Maqāṣid-Based Fiqhi Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31436/ijfus.v9i2.376Keywords:
Eligibility of forcibly displaced persons, zakah recipients, the poor and needy, objectives of Shariah, social solidarityAbstract
This study examines the eligibility of forcibly displaced persons to receive zakah, based on the significance of zakah as a fundamental pillar of Islamic law aimed at achieving social solidarity and economic justice, especially amid the urgent circumstances faced by displaced populations. The research problem arises from the ambiguity surrounding the inclusion of forcibly displaced persons within the categories of zakah recipients and the challenge of determining their eligibility in light of contemporary realities and the absence of precise criteria to apply classical rulings and modern fatwas to this shifting category. The study aims to clarify the juristic foundations that qualify forcibly displaced persons to receive zakah, analyse the extent to which these rulings are applicable in current contexts, highlight relevant contemporary juristic and maqāṣid-based approaches, and present actionable recommendations to enhance the zakah system to better serve this group. The research adopts a descriptive and analytical methodology, relying on textual analysis of Islamic sources, classical juristic opinions, and maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah, alongside contemporary reports on the realities of displacement. The study further distinguishes forcibly displaced persons from other related groups and establishes their potential classification under the categories of the poor (fuqarāʾ), the wayfarer (ibn al-sabīl), or those in debt (ghārimūn), depending on their circumstances, in line with the views of leading jurists. The study concludes that the eligibility of forcibly displaced persons for zakah is not merely a legal question but reflects the ethical and humanitarian spirit of Islamic law, emphasizing the need to institutionalize zakah distribution in a manner that ensures justice and human solidarity.
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