Ruling on paying off the debt of a deceased person from zakah

Question : And it involves a deficiency.

Answer : The debt of the living person is more deserving, because the sanctity of the living person is stronger than the sanctity of the dead. This is evidence that it is not permissible to pay off the debt of the deceased from zakah. If we were to open this door, the door to paying off the debts of the living would be closed. If we said that it is permissible to pay off the debt of the deceased from zakah, people would now be going through their old ledgers and the debts of their fathers and grandfathers, and paying them off from their zakah, while the living would be left without their debts being paid. We mentioned this and said that there are four aspects indicating that this is not permissible, meaning paying off the debt of the deceased from zakah. However, there is no harm in someone volunteering to pay off the debt of the deceased on his behalf.