Is it permissible to give one's mother from the zakah?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question : This questioner mentions that she is a married woman and has no source of income, but she has gold, and by the grace of Allah she pays the zakah on this gold every year. Is it permissible for her to give her poor mother from the zakah of her gold, given that her mother has four children, the youngest of whom is twenty years old? We ask for your guidance.
Answer : If the questioner's mother is wealthy, meaning she does not need financial maintenance, then it is not permissible for her to give her from her zakah, because Allah the Exalted has specified the recipients of zakah in His saying:[At-Tawbah 9:60]. However, if her mother is in need.
and she does not have enough to cover her own maintenance and the maintenance of the children in her care, then if the daughter is able to provide for her from her own wealth, it is not permissible for her to give her from the zakah of her jewelry. But if she is not able to, she may give her from the zakah, meaning from the zakah of her jewelry. This is because if she were wealthy, providing for her mother would be obligatory, and one cannot drop an obligation by paying zakah. However, if she has nothing but the zakah due on her and is unable to provide for her mother, she may give her the zakah, because her mother falls under the general meaning of Allah the Exalted's saying:[At-Tawbah 9:60] to the end of the verse. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer : If the questioner's mother is wealthy, meaning she does not need financial maintenance, then it is not permissible for her to give her from her zakah, because Allah the Exalted has specified the recipients of zakah in His saying:
Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.
إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌand she does not have enough to cover her own maintenance and the maintenance of the children in her care, then if the daughter is able to provide for her from her own wealth, it is not permissible for her to give her from the zakah of her jewelry. But if she is not able to, she may give her from the zakah, meaning from the zakah of her jewelry. This is because if she were wealthy, providing for her mother would be obligatory, and one cannot drop an obligation by paying zakah. However, if she has nothing but the zakah due on her and is unable to provide for her mother, she may give her the zakah, because her mother falls under the general meaning of Allah the Exalted's saying:
Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together
إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 920- هل يجوز إعطاء الأم من الزكاة؟/سؤال على الهاتف 📞 /ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.