Zakat As Means Of Social Welfare: Exploring A Recent Fatwa From The Moroccan ‘Ulama’ On The Permissibility Of Paying Zakat In Advance To Help The Poor Of The Covid-19

Abstract

The Coronavirus  has  contributed  effectively  to  the  rise  of  religious fatawa in  all  aspects  of life,  especially  related  to  solidarity.  One  of  the  issues  related  to  Coronavirus  is  the permissibility  of  paying  zakat  in  advance  to  the  due  date  to  assist  those  affected  by  the pandemic.  In this context, the religious Moroccan ulama issued a fatawa allowing a man to pay  one  or  two  years  of  zakat  in  advance  to  the  due  date. As a result, there have  been numerous discussions around the issuing of this fatawa and other issues such as the role of ulama within Moroccan society during the epidemiological conditions, and re-establishing a formal  zakat  system. The  objective  of  this  article  is  to  shed  light  on this  recent fatawa to explore  the  causes  and  circumstances  of  this  legitimate fatawa.  It also aims  to  discuss  the evidence  used  by the Moroccan ulama to  issue  this fatawa.  By examining  the  Moroccan ulama fatawa, this article aims to show the role of the ulama in their communities during difficult times.