Is it permissible for a man to send his zakah from the country where he resides to the country of his poor relatives?

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, a person lives in Europe and wants to give his zakah to his poor relatives who are in another country. Is that permissible for him, even though there are poor Muslims in the country where he resides?

Answer:
Yes, the preferable or obligatory course is that he gives it in the country where there are poor Muslims. If he sends it to his needy relatives or to the needy in his home country, we do not say this is forbidden; we say it is permissible, if Allah wills, but it is contrary to what is preferable. There is disagreement among the scholars. A person should not enter into a matter of scholarly disagreement except by taking the most cautious path that is safest for his conscience. Yes.