Ruling on Giving Charity to Healthy, Wealthy Parents

Question:
Abdullah al-Hasan has a set of questions. He says: Your Eminence, may Allah preserve you! What is the ruling on giving charity to our living, healthy parents who are wealthy, and who do not know about it?

Answer:
If they are wealthy, there is no need for charity. If they are wealthy, there is no need for charity. Seek out the poor and give them charity. If your grandparents are wealthy, praise be to Allah; they are not in need of your charity. However, if doing so pleases them and results in maintaining family ties and being dutiful to them, there is no harm. If it pleases your parents that you give them what is called charity, it is considered a gift in the sense of winning their affection and in the sense of maintaining ties and being dutiful, and there is no harm. It is not called charity. If you want to give charity, give it to the poor. But if you give a gift to your parents or your grandparents in the sense of winning their affection, in the sense of maintaining ties, and in the sense of being dutiful, there is no harm.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Your Eminence.