Is it permissible for a descendant to give his zakah and zakat al-fitr to his ancestor?

Shuqara: Another hadith says: A married son living in a residence separate from his father, is he allowed to give his zakat al-fitr and his wealth's zakah on behalf of his parents or to his parents and his needy brothers?

The Shaykh : Yes, he may do so. The Messenger of Allah said to the son: Yes.
Shuqara: No, the question is again: a married son.

The Shaykh: All right.

The questioner: And he lives in a residence separate from his father.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner: His father has children, and they are poor. Is it permissible for this son to give his zakah and fitr charity to his brothers and his father, or only to his brothers?

The Shaykh : The charity of his wealth.
Shuqara: Zakat al-fitr, yes.

The Shaykh : The matter differs here. If the father and the brothers are poor and not wealthy, and they are living independently and separately, as stated in the question, then we see that it is permissible for the descendant to give to the ancestor, and for the ancestor to give to the descendant, provided they do not live together and one does not provide for the other. If the father is living with his other children, and they are on their own, and this wealthy son—assuming he is wealthy, as it appears from the question—is also living on his own, then he may give his wealth's zakah and his zakat al-fitr to his father and his brothers. This is different from the case where he is responsible for providing for them. In that case, it is said that maintenance and zakah do not combine, so it is not permissible to give zakah to one whom you are obligated to support. However, if, as we mentioned earlier, the father and his children are living on their own, self-sufficient and covered, as it is said, then it is permissible for this wealthy son to give his wealth's zakah to his poor father and brothers.
Shuqara: Should there not be a distinction between the father and the children, since the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made the child part of his father's earnings and made his wealth belong to his father? Would this hadith and other similar hadiths prevent giving zakah to the father, who is the ancestor, in the presence of this son, just as it is his right over his son that he should provide for him the maintenance that prevents him from falling into poverty and need?

The Shaykh : We said something: if they are self-sufficient and covered. But if they are less than that, then the son is obligated to provide for him. If he provides for him, it is not permissible for him to give him his wealth's zakah. And we explicitly said that zakah and maintenance are two things that do not combine. If the father is in need, he may compel his son and take from him what suffices him from his wealth, even against his will. But if he is living in a state of sufficiency, you know that some people, especially in the early times, were wealthy but were poor. They were wealthy in general, but they became poor because they gave away their wealth out of asceticism in this world. So we can imagine a father who is ascetic in this world and has no desire for expansion in life, as is the case with many fathers in almost every era. If we imagine a father who is content with less than the middle of living and life, is self-sufficient, and does not ask his son to provide for him, and then the son returns and gives his wealth's zakah to his father, and his father accepts it, then it is a matter of maintaining family ties and a matter of what? Charity, as it came in some hadiths. As for the children, as you pointed out, there is undoubtedly a difference between them and the father. Yes.