Dear respected Shaykh, assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Is it permissible to give Zakat al-Fitr to our Muslim brothers in Burma? زكاة الفطر خارج البلد

Praise be to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and his companions. Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. As to what follows: In response to your question, we say:   The Muslims in Burma are facing a great crisis, and I ask Allah to grant them quick relief, and help them in their situation. May Allah grant us sympathy for them because their calamity is great. The pictures and leaked images that show the killings and crimes that our brothers in that country depicts an unimaginable situation. The issue is so severe that a person might think that some of the pictures are not real and credible. Thus, helping them by any means, and relieving their distress is a compulsory duty to our brethren in faith. This can be through giving them money because they are in need, and this money could be from the charity funds or Zakat. However, the giver should be certain that the money reaches the intended recipients because many a time people donate money and they do not know if it will reach the intended recipients. There is no problem if a person gives the people of Burma Zakat al-Fitr but he should give it out at its due time or close to it. He may send someone or appoint an agent to give the deserving people the money at the time of need.