A mother paying her zakat al-mal to her son to settle his debt

Question:
May Allah reward you. The questioner asks: Is it permissible for a woman to pay her zakat al-mal to her son in order to settle the debt he owes, which consists of traffic violations he is unable to pay?

Answer:
It is not permissible for a parent to pay his zakat to his child for any purpose, nor is it permissible for a child to pay his zakat to his father, his paternal grandfather, or his maternal grandmother. It is not permissible to pay the zakat of a descendant to an ancestor, nor the zakat of an ancestor to a descendant. This is because if a son needs maintenance or has a debt, it is obligatory for the father to pay it on his behalf if he is able. Likewise, it is obligatory for the son, if he is able, to pay his father’s debt from his own wealth, which is not zakat.
Maintenance is likewise obligatory; the son must provide for his father. The father must provide for his poor son and must not use zakat as a substitute for the maintenance or assistance with debt or other matters that are obligatory upon him. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah keep you safe.