Firstly, the share of those working on collecting Zakāt has specific guidelines and is not applied to anyone distributing Zakāt. Scholars of the Ḥanafi school of thought have interpreted the verse “and for those who are employed to administer the (collection and) distribution thereof” (Qurˀān 9:60) to refer to those individuals who are appointed by the Imām solely for the purpose of collecting Zakāt. The majority of scholars, on the other hand, believe that those working on Zakāt are appointed by the Imām for both the collection and distribution of Zakāt.
Secondly, there are some general qualifications and other specific qualifications for someone to be considered an employee working on Zakāt. These qualifications include being a Muslim, being upright, having knowledge of the rulings of Zakāt, his lineage does not link to the family of Banī Hāshim or the family of ˁAbd al-Muṭalib, and being appointed by the ruler or the authorities. Therefore, those working on Zakāt are individuals appointed or authorized by the authorities of Islamic countries, or selected by recognized organizations empowered by the authorities or Muslim communities to collect and distribute Zakāt. In this regard, they are allowed to deduct a portion from the amount of Zakāt for their work, even if they receive a salary for their original employment. This is based on the Ḥadīth of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that states, “Charity is not permissible for a rich person except for five: an employee working on Zakāt, a warrior in the cause of Allāh, a person who bought it with his money, a poor person who is given Zakāt and then gives it to a rich person, or a debtor.” (Abū Dawūd and Ibn Mājah, authenticated by Al-Ḥākim)
Thirdly, those working on Zakāt include authorized charitable organizations appointed and licensed by the state to collect and distribute Zakāt. This includes charitable organizations and Islamic centers outside the Islamic world that are authorized or empowered by the Muslim community. Voluntary organizations and individual volunteers, even if they are licensed to collect and distribute Zākat, are not considered employees working on Zākat. For example, if an Imām does not have authorization from the board of directors and the community to collect kat while deducting a portion for his work, he is considered solely a volunteer and cannot take any portion for himself. The same applies to members of management boards.
Fourthly, there is a distinction between the types of platforms mentioned in the question. For example, IslamicRelief is an authorized Zākat collection institution appointed by the Muslim community. They collect Zākat from donors without requiring them to pay fees, and they are still qualified to deduct a portion for themselves since they are considered employees working on Zākat. On the other hand, GoFundMe is a platform of delivery and transfer and not an institution empowered for Zākat collection. Therefore, the donor is required to cover the additional expenses incurred by the institution beyond the Zākat amount. Similarly, transfer fees through banks or services like Western Union are the responsibility of the donor, just as if they were taking the Zākat money themselves to deliver it to a needy person in a distant place. Travel expenses are not deductible since it would be like taking a portion of Zākat for oneself.
Fifthly, the majority of scholars agree that there is no specific limit to the percentage that can be deducted by the employee from the Zākat funds, as long as it does not exceed the necessary amount. However, the Shāfiˁiy school of thought holds that it is not permissible to deduct more than the cost required to run the collection process.
We lean towards the opinion of the Shāfiˁiy school of thought because it serves the interest of the poor, and not specifying the deductible amount opens the door to exploitation. We have heard of some who work for collecting Zākat traveling in first class and staying in the most luxurious hotels, deducting costs from the Zākat under the excuse of working for collecting the Zākat. This is an excuse that is not justified, as the essence of Zākat is to promote economic justice and meet the needs of the needy, not to expand the wealth of the rich. ˁUbaydullāh ibn ˁAdiy ibn al-Khiyār reported that two men came to the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) asking him for charity, and he looked at them and saw that they were strong. He said, “If you want, I will give you, but there is no share of it for the rich or the strong who is able earn.” This Ḥadīth is reported by ˀAḥmad, Abū Dawūd, and An-Nasāˀiy.
Fatwa by Dr. Khālid Naṣr