What is the ruling on giving some people zakah every year, when perhaps after a few years they may have become wealthy?

Question : Our master Abu Hamid, may Allah bless you, some people know that this man is poor, so they take advantage of him, they take advantage of him, and then every year they take advantage of him, until many years pass and they do not ask about his condition.

Answer : Yes, he says: As long as it is based on his assumption, let him continue. For example, if a person’s habit was to give so-and-so from the zakah because he knew he was among those entitled to it, or because it was his strong assumption, and he continued with this, then if nothing occurs to change this assumption, the default is that he remains as he was. But some people are problematic; it becomes their habit to give this man for a year or two, then the man becomes wealthy and no longer needs it, and he says, “I will give to him because it is my habit to give to him, so I will continue,” while he knows that he does not deserve this. This is not permissible. For this reason, some poor people come to you and say, “It is the habit, the habit,” meaning the custom. The matter is not a custom, nor is it a routine. If you are among those entitled to zakah, we gave to you, and if we had no custom. And if you are not among those entitled to zakah, we did not give to you, even if we had a custom.