The Ruling on Giving Zakah to a Poor Family Whose Head Is Ill

Question:
The questioner says: A poor family, and the head of the family is ill and was sent to a government hospital for treatment. He says he has children, and that his mother goes to houses to collect charity. He asks: Is he entitled to zakah, given that he receives a small salary that covers his needs?

Answer:
Yes, zakah is for the poor and the needy. The first people for whom zakah is obligatory are the poor and the needy. The poor person is the one who does not find what suffices him; he finds some, but not enough to suffice him, or he finds nothing. This person is given. As for the needy person, his situation is better than that of the poor person; he finds more than what suffices him, but there is a slight deficiency. This is the needy person who finds half of what suffices him or more, but has a deficiency. As for the poor person, he is the one who finds nothing or finds a little. So the poor and the needy are given from the zakah the amount that suffices them. Yes.