Compensation and its Effect on Collecting Zakat and the Duties of the Zakat Collector

HRMARS - This article examines the concept of compensation (al-jabr?n) in the zakat of camels and its impact on the practice of zakat collection and the duties of zakat officials. It focuses on situations where the prescribed age of camels for zakat is unavailable, and compensation is used to balance the rights of people with low incomes against the capacity of owners of zakat-liable livestock. Using a descriptive–inductive method, the study analyses classical juristic discussions on zakat compensation, clarifies its linguistic and technical meanings, and reviews the differing positions of the major Sunni schools of law regarding its ruling and modalities. The findings show that compensation, grounded in prophetic practice and the Book of Sadaqah, serves as a legally sanctioned means to alleviate hardship and facilitate the collection of zakat on camels, while maintaining fairness between the zakat payer and the beneficiaries.