Issue: Is it permissible to give zakah to relatives?
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The Shaykh : He said: Sunan Abi Dawud 1633Sahih (Al-Albani) Now, is it permissible to give zakah to relatives, or is it not permissible? If they are among those entitled to zakah, it is given to them on the condition that it does not result in saving the owner’s money. If giving to them saves the owner’s money, such that if you give to them, you save your own money, then this is not permissible. Do you understand, everyone?
The questioner : Repeat.
The Shaykh : The second time: Is it permissible to give to relatives from your zakah? The answer is yes, because the verse we recited is general and contains no exception. However, if giving to a relative saves the owner’s money, then it is not permissible to give to him. When does it save the owner’s money? When his maintenance is obligatory upon you. If you give him zakah, you save yourself the maintenance. What is that? The maintenance. If you give him zakah, you save yourself the maintenance, and in that case, it is as if you did not pay the zakah. Now, if the relative’s maintenance is not obligatory upon you, and you give to him, and he is among those entitled to zakah, is it sufficient or not? It is sufficient. For example, a man has a poor brother, and the brother has children, and the brother’s children are poor. Is it permissible for him to give to them or not? Yes, it is permissible for him to give to them, because in this case, their maintenance is not obligatory upon their brother, for he does not inherit from them due to the presence of the brother’s children. Another example: a man has money, but it is a small amount that is not sufficient to provide for his relative, meaning a relative whose maintenance is obligatory upon him, but the provider’s money is small and not sufficient to provide for his relative. Is it permissible for him to give to him from the zakah? The scenario is that of a woman who has jewelry and has a mother, but her money is not sufficient to provide for her mother. Is it permissible for her to give to her mother from her zakah? Yes, it is permissible, because in this case, she does not save money for herself. Now, a man has a son, and this son has debts to people due to losses that befell him. Is it permissible for the father to pay off his son’s debt from the zakah? The answer is yes, it is permissible, because the father is not obligated to pay off the debt of his son. So if he pays it off for him from the zakah, he is not saving his money. For this reason, it is permissible to give zakah to relatives in all cases if they are among those in debt. If they are among those in debt, meaning those who have debts they cannot pay off.
If you wish, I shall give you something, but there is nothing spare in it for a rich man or for one who is strong and able to earn a living.
إن شئتما أعطيتكما ولا حظ فيها لغني ولا لقوي مكتسبThe questioner : Repeat.
The Shaykh : The second time: Is it permissible to give to relatives from your zakah? The answer is yes, because the verse we recited is general and contains no exception. However, if giving to a relative saves the owner’s money, then it is not permissible to give to him. When does it save the owner’s money? When his maintenance is obligatory upon you. If you give him zakah, you save yourself the maintenance. What is that? The maintenance. If you give him zakah, you save yourself the maintenance, and in that case, it is as if you did not pay the zakah. Now, if the relative’s maintenance is not obligatory upon you, and you give to him, and he is among those entitled to zakah, is it sufficient or not? It is sufficient. For example, a man has a poor brother, and the brother has children, and the brother’s children are poor. Is it permissible for him to give to them or not? Yes, it is permissible for him to give to them, because in this case, their maintenance is not obligatory upon their brother, for he does not inherit from them due to the presence of the brother’s children. Another example: a man has money, but it is a small amount that is not sufficient to provide for his relative, meaning a relative whose maintenance is obligatory upon him, but the provider’s money is small and not sufficient to provide for his relative. Is it permissible for him to give to him from the zakah? The scenario is that of a woman who has jewelry and has a mother, but her money is not sufficient to provide for her mother. Is it permissible for her to give to her mother from her zakah? Yes, it is permissible, because in this case, she does not save money for herself. Now, a man has a son, and this son has debts to people due to losses that befell him. Is it permissible for the father to pay off his son’s debt from the zakah? The answer is yes, it is permissible, because the father is not obligated to pay off the debt of his son. So if he pays it off for him from the zakah, he is not saving his money. For this reason, it is permissible to give zakah to relatives in all cases if they are among those in debt. If they are among those in debt, meaning those who have debts they cannot pay off.