What is the ruling on giving zakat al-fitr to one of the donor's relatives, such as a brother?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : As you say, his salary is not enough for him, and he needs zakat al-fitr. If he has zakat due on his wealth, he wants to pay it and give it to his brother. Is this permissible?
The Shaykh : Is his brother living on his own?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And is he married?
The questioner : Yes, and he has children.
The Shaykh : He will get two rewards: the reward of charity and the reward of maintaining family ties.
The questioner: Allahu Akbar.
The Shaykh: Is it clear?
The questioner : Ah, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : I mean, the closest ones are more deserving of kindness. The closest relatives are more deserving of kindness.
The questioner : More deserving? Instead of paying it to others, he gives it to his brother. I mean, is it permissible?
The Shaykh : More deserving, more deserving, and better.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : There is what is permissible and there is what is better. Everything that is better is permissible, but not everything that is permissible is better. Is that clear?
The questioner : Clear, clear.
Another questioner : Shaykh, someone asked me yesterday, saying: As you mentioned, the brother gives it as charity to his brother, but he wants to say his brother is single, and he wants to get married and give him [the money]. I told him it is better to give it to your brother, but if your brother does not possess the nisab, meaning he is poor, then a thought occurred to me: that he is single and says he is saving up for himself to get married, and he possesses the nisab and more than half of the nisab.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible to give it to him.
The questioner : Is it permissible to give it to him? No, it is not permissible.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible.
The questioner : When he spends it, he gives it to him in its place.
The Shaykh : It is this.
The questioner : I told him that. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : With the note that regarding zakat al-fitr, I fear your intention is to give him money?
The questioner : Money.
The Shaykh : Cash.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is not permissible.
The questioner : And what is permissible?
The Shaykh : You want to give him from the food he eats, rice, sugar. This is the substitute for the wheat and barley that was in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So beware of giving him dirhams, I mean dinars. No, this is a note.
The questioner : Zakat on wealth?
The Shaykh : Zakat on wealth is the wealth you have. This is a note regarding zakat al-fitr. The second note: you must not give it to him one or two days before. If he is close to you in residence.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Then you give it to him after the Fajr prayer, between the Fajr prayer and the Eid prayer.
The questioner : And between the Eid prayer.
The Shaykh : I wanted to remind you so that you do not fall into the error that people fall into, giving dirhams and dinars. This is not permissible. A few days ago, perhaps now in Ramadan.
The questioner : There are people who pay it out, yes.
The Shaykh : This is all a mistake.
The questioner : A mistake. I mean, it must be between the Eid prayer and the Fajr prayer. That is better. As for zakat on wealth, it has no connection. May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you.
The questioner : Thank you.
The Shaykh : Is his brother living on his own?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And is he married?
The questioner : Yes, and he has children.
The Shaykh : He will get two rewards: the reward of charity and the reward of maintaining family ties.
The questioner: Allahu Akbar.
The Shaykh: Is it clear?
The questioner : Ah, may Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : I mean, the closest ones are more deserving of kindness. The closest relatives are more deserving of kindness.
The questioner : More deserving? Instead of paying it to others, he gives it to his brother. I mean, is it permissible?
The Shaykh : More deserving, more deserving, and better.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : There is what is permissible and there is what is better. Everything that is better is permissible, but not everything that is permissible is better. Is that clear?
The questioner : Clear, clear.
Another questioner : Shaykh, someone asked me yesterday, saying: As you mentioned, the brother gives it as charity to his brother, but he wants to say his brother is single, and he wants to get married and give him [the money]. I told him it is better to give it to your brother, but if your brother does not possess the nisab, meaning he is poor, then a thought occurred to me: that he is single and says he is saving up for himself to get married, and he possesses the nisab and more than half of the nisab.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible to give it to him.
The questioner : Is it permissible to give it to him? No, it is not permissible.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible.
The questioner : When he spends it, he gives it to him in its place.
The Shaykh : It is this.
The questioner : I told him that. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : With the note that regarding zakat al-fitr, I fear your intention is to give him money?
The questioner : Money.
The Shaykh : Cash.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is not permissible.
The questioner : And what is permissible?
The Shaykh : You want to give him from the food he eats, rice, sugar. This is the substitute for the wheat and barley that was in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So beware of giving him dirhams, I mean dinars. No, this is a note.
The questioner : Zakat on wealth?
The Shaykh : Zakat on wealth is the wealth you have. This is a note regarding zakat al-fitr. The second note: you must not give it to him one or two days before. If he is close to you in residence.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Then you give it to him after the Fajr prayer, between the Fajr prayer and the Eid prayer.
The questioner : And between the Eid prayer.
The Shaykh : I wanted to remind you so that you do not fall into the error that people fall into, giving dirhams and dinars. This is not permissible. A few days ago, perhaps now in Ramadan.
The questioner : There are people who pay it out, yes.
The Shaykh : This is all a mistake.
The questioner : A mistake. I mean, it must be between the Eid prayer and the Fajr prayer. That is better. As for zakat on wealth, it has no connection. May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you.
The questioner : Thank you.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.