I'm currently in debt. Do I still have to perform my zakat? Between zakat & my debt, which is of more importance?
Both have equal importance. You have to use the money to settle your debts in order to forgo your zakat obligation. Zakat is an obligatory assertion by Allah SWT and His assertion supersedes everything else.
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I have saved up for my Haj pilgrimage. Is it necessary for me to perform my zakat? If I do so, my Haj savings will not be enough.
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Both zakat and haj are part of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims are required to perform zakat when it's two conditions (nisab & haul) are simultaneously met, regardless of whether the money is for daily usage, savings or other usage for religious purposes such as Haj.
The word Zakat means both 'purification' and 'growth'. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need and AllaH SWT has promised that it encourages new growth. Therefore, you should not have doubts that it will make you financially inadequate because of zakat and sadakah. A good and blessed Haj definitely resulted from the purified source (wealth) indeed.
Haj is an obligation only for those who are physically and financially stable to perform it. Thus, it is necessary to perform your zakat.
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According to hukum (Islamic law), the proceeds from zakat have to be distributed thoroughly and equally, within the same year. Is this being carried out, in Singapore's context?
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Ideally, that is how it should be distributed. But often, there are some asnaf (groups of beneficiary) who does not need it or the numbers in the group are too small, for example, asnaf Ibnissabil, Gharimin, Amil and Muallaf. To overcome this, MUIS has allocated a bigger allotment for those who need it the most, such as asnaf Fakir and Miskin, Fisabilillah and Rekab.
MUIS has done what is required by the Islamic law and sometimes allocate more than what was collected. For example, in 2002, MUIS has distributed S$14.6 mil as opposed to the collected earnings of S$13.8 mil from zakat.
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