The ruling on giving zakah to one who works in a riba (usury or interest) bank or a barbershop

Question : Is it permissible to give zakah to a person who works in an impermissible job, such as a riba bank, or owns a barbershop, but who is in need of that zakah and performs the prayer?

Answer : Yes. The Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned that it is not befitting to give zakah to one who uses it to aid in sin. No open sinner should be supported in his open sinfulness. For example, if he smokes, we do not give him zakah, because if we give him the favor of one afflicted with this smoking, the first thing he will buy is tobacco, so we do not give it to him. However, it is possible to give it to his wife, or if he has righteous children, we give it to them and say, "Give this to your family," or the like. Or we say to him, "We have zakah; what does the house need? It needs sugar, rice, such and such. We will collect the zakah for you and buy it for you." In this case, there is no harm. If he says, "You are my agent, take the zakah that comes to me and buy such and such with it," then that is permissible. As for this question, if a person does not use the zakah to aid in sin but is a sinner, he is given from the zakah as long as he is in need, but he is advised against the sin, so perhaps Allah the Exalted will guide him through the hand of the one who gave him.