IPOH: The zakat fitrah (personal tithe), which is paid online, including through mobile apps, is valid even though no formal declaration (akad) takes place before a zakat collector, said Perak Deputy Mufti, Datuk Zamri Hashim.
Zamri said that from a Syariah standpoint, zakat does not necessarily require a formal declaration; the intention is more important.
“However, our community is accustomed to the declaration and doa after paying zakat fitrah, and there is no issue with paying online through an application as long as the intention is there,“ he said.
He spoke to reporters after announcing the zakat fitrah rate for the state of Perak for this year and the launch of the MAIPk (Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council) Bestari app here today.
Also present was the MAIPk chief executive officer, Syamsul Hazeman Md Salleh.
The zakat fitrah rates in Perak for 2025 have been set at RM10, RM16, and RM27 per person, depending on the type of rice consumed.
Zamri said elderly individuals unfamiliar with technology can delegate their children to pay the zakat, including online, but it must be accompanied by a wakalah (representation statement).
Meanwhile, according to Syamsul Hazeman, the MAIPk Bestari app was developed to facilitate zakat payments quickly and securely through a digital QR system, either via appointed amil (zakat collector) or direct payments to MAIPk.
“For those who still wish to make the akad, it is also included in the app, and payers can still use the conventional method, but the amil will use this app for record-keeping purposes,“ he said.
He added that the app, which will go live on the 1st of Ramadan, will also accept zakat fitrah payments throughout the year for any missed zakat.
“While the mandatory period for zakat fitrah payments is throughout Ramadan, for various reasons, some may not have been able to pay or may have forgotten. They can still make payments through the app with the intention and declaration to make up for the missed zakat,“ he added.
