The ruling on giving zakah to one's wife and relatives

Question:
The questioner asks: What is the ruling on giving zakah to one's wife, son, father, or brother if they have debts?

Answer:
As for the wife, no. Her maintenance is obligatory upon you, so you do not give her from your zakah. You provide for her yourself; you are responsible for her clothing, her financial maintenance, and her housing. This is obligatory upon you, so you do not give her from your zakah. As for a relative, if he is one of the parents or one of the children, it is also not permissible, because their maintenance is also obligatory upon you. The maintenance of the parents, if they are in need, is the responsibility of the child, and the maintenance of the child, if he is in need, is the responsibility of his father. So you do not give them from the zakah in order to be relieved of providing for them. The zakah is not a means of protecting one's capital.
As for his relatives whose maintenance is not obligatory upon him, such as his brothers and sisters, there is no objection. He may give them from the zakah if they are in need.