Giving zakah to relatives who are not ancestors or descendants, or whose maintenance is obligatory upon him, and expediting its payment

The questioner:
May Allah reward you. The listener, Nasser ibn Abdullah al-Waqian from Riyadh, says: I want to give zakat al-fitr on my behalf and on behalf of my household, and I have a female relative to whom I want to give it. Is that valid? And

The Shaykh:
If she is poor, if this relative is poor, and is not among your fathers or your grandfathers or grandmothers, meaning she is not among the ancestors in the lineage, nor among your children or your children’s children, then it is permissible for you to give her the zakah of wealth, and to give her the alms of fitr because of her poverty. Yes.

The questioner:
He says: May Allah reward you. Does giving the alms of fitr mean giving it to her, even if she is in my house, or am I required to take it out of my house?

The Shaykh:
As long as you are spending on her and providing for her needs, she is not poor. Charity is not permissible for her, because charity is for the needy person who has no one to support her.

The questioner:
No, she is poor in your question.

The Shaykh:
But he is supporting her; he says she is in his house.

The questioner:
He means the alms of fitr; he says: If I give it to her on the day of the festival, do I keep it with me until she comes to take it?

The Shaykh:
No, it is not delayed past the day of the festival, it is not delayed past the festival prayer. He gives it to her before the festival prayer. If he is unable to give it to her, he gives it to someone else,

The presenter:
and he does not keep it in his house until she comes to take it.

The Shaykh:
He gives it to her or to his agent before the festival prayer. Yes.