Alms Tax: Taking Zakat for Hajj and Ziyarah

Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Ayatullah Sistani

Ruling 1996

A person can take from the ‘in the way of Allah’ portion of zakat for hajj, ziyārah,[¹] and suchlike, even if he is not poor or has already taken an amount of zakat that is equal to his annual living expenses, provided that going for hajj, ziyārah, and suchlike is in the general public interest, and, based on obligatory precaution, he has obtained permission from a fully qualified jurist for using zakat in this way.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

1. Ziyārah is a visitation to the place of burial of a holy personality or a holy place.