What is the ruling on transferring zakah to relatives in another country?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : He says: I want to give zakah, and I have relatives outside the city of Jeddah, and they are orphans. So, should we send it to them after the festival?
The Shaykh : It is permissible for a person to transfer his zakah from his city to another city if there is a benefit in doing so. If you have relatives in another city who are eligible for zakah, and you send it to them, there is nothing wrong with that. Likewise, if the cost of living in your city is high, and you send your zakah to a country where the people are poorer, there is nothing wrong with that either.
However, if there is no benefit in transferring the zakah to the second country, do not transfer it. On this occasion, and with the approaching time for paying zakat al-fitr, those who are in Makkah as pilgrims performing 'Umrah should pay their zakat al-fitr here in Makkah, because the time for its obligation coincided with their presence in Makkah. As for the residents of Makkah, they should pay it in their own countries if they did not come with you.
The questioner : After the festival.
The Shaykh : No. I mean, is zakat al-fitr after the festival or not? No. Please repeat the question.
The questioner : If Allah wills, should I send it to them after the treatment?
The Shaykh : Say it, say it.
The questioner : I want to pay the zakah, and I have relatives outside the city of Jeddah, and they are orphans. Should I pay it and send it to them after the festival?
The Shaykh : Yes, this zakah is not the zakah of the body. Please proceed. But when people were about to pay their zakah in Ramadan, this man asked this question. That is fine. And he asked how?
The questioner : How is it valid after the festival?
The Shaykh : As for zakat al-fitr, it is not permissible to delay it beyond the festival prayer.
The Shaykh : It is permissible for a person to transfer his zakah from his city to another city if there is a benefit in doing so. If you have relatives in another city who are eligible for zakah, and you send it to them, there is nothing wrong with that. Likewise, if the cost of living in your city is high, and you send your zakah to a country where the people are poorer, there is nothing wrong with that either.
However, if there is no benefit in transferring the zakah to the second country, do not transfer it. On this occasion, and with the approaching time for paying zakat al-fitr, those who are in Makkah as pilgrims performing 'Umrah should pay their zakat al-fitr here in Makkah, because the time for its obligation coincided with their presence in Makkah. As for the residents of Makkah, they should pay it in their own countries if they did not come with you.
The questioner : After the festival.
The Shaykh : No. I mean, is zakat al-fitr after the festival or not? No. Please repeat the question.
The questioner : If Allah wills, should I send it to them after the treatment?
The Shaykh : Say it, say it.
The questioner : I want to pay the zakah, and I have relatives outside the city of Jeddah, and they are orphans. Should I pay it and send it to them after the festival?
The Shaykh : Yes, this zakah is not the zakah of the body. Please proceed. But when people were about to pay their zakah in Ramadan, this man asked this question. That is fine. And he asked how?
The questioner : How is it valid after the festival?
The Shaykh : As for zakat al-fitr, it is not permissible to delay it beyond the festival prayer.
Source
دروس وفتاوى المسجد الحرام لعام 1406هـ - 5 — binothaimeen.net (1:16:34)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.