Following several requests from donors interested to devote their Zakat al Fitr to refugees and IDPs, UNHCR reached out in April 2021 to Al-Azhar Islamic Research Academy to enquire about the permissibility of distributing Zakat al Fitr in cash to eligible refugees and IDPs.

After confirming that refugees and IDPs fall under four of the eight categories of Zakat recipients, Al-Azhar Islamic Research Academy stated in its fatwa that they are entitled to receive Zakat Al Fitr, and that it is all the more important to assist them during these blessed days.

The fatwa concludes by affirming that Zakat Al Fitr can be given in cash or in-kind according to what is easier for Zakat payers and most suitable for beneficiaries.