Q445 :Can pilgrimage be performed with zakah money?
Many people back home ask for zakah funds to pay for their
pilgrimage.
A445 : One of the purposes of zakah funds is that
mentioned under the heading “for the service of Allah’s cause,” which
is included among the beneficiaries of zakah. Scholars have interpreted
this as to help those who fight for Allah’s cause and those who want to
travel to pilgrimage. With this view in mind, it is permissible for a
person to receive zakah money in order to meet some of the expenses of
his pilgrimage journey. Having said that, I must point out that
pilgrimage is obligatory only to a person who is able to undertake the
journey. The conditions of ability include financial status. A person
who does not have enough money to pay for his journey and to maintain
his family during his absence is unable to make the pilgrimage.
Therefore, the duty of pilgrimage does not apply to him.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )