Zakaat for the construction of Masjid or Madrassah

Question:

Can we build a Masjid or a Madrassah with Zakaat money?

Answer:

For Zakaat to be valid, it must come out of the property of the donor and enter in the possession of the recipient. According to the Shari'ah, Masjid or Madrassah does not have the ability to own. That is why Zakaat cannot be given for the construction of a Masjid or Madrassah. If someone has given his Zakaat money in these places, then his Zakaat will not be valid. He will have to give his Zakaat again. That's why one cannot pay the Kafan and Dafan fees with Zakaat money because a dead person does not have the ability to own. Based on the same principle, one will not be allowed to buy books with Zakaat money and give them to a library where people may take benefit from it because the beneficiaries do not become the owners of these books. Moreover, even the library does not have the ability to become an owner. One should use voluntary contributions for such works.

[English version of "Zakaat dans construction masjid ou madrassah" – Al Jamiat – Vol.5 No.12]