The Ruling on Giving Charity to the Foolish

Question:
Our sister asks about this incident, saying: A man does not work and spends his money on things that are of no benefit, then he needs a bite to eat to sustain himself out of extreme necessity. If I give to such a person, will I be among those who relieve the distress of his brother? Knowing that he does not work out of laziness, and if he obtains a sum of money by any means, he spends it quickly, and sometimes he finds nothing to eat. May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
Yes; if he is in a state where he finds nothing, and a person treats him well, then he has treated his brother well and relieved his distress. But the one mentioned does not exist except as a person of deficient intellect, who is not of sound mind, but rather a fool (safi); he does not work, and yet he spends what is in his hand and remains idle; this is not the behavior of the sensible. But whenever a need is found in him, he should be given what satisfies his need and covers it, because the money in his hand was lost and gone, so he became poor and in need of support and assistance. Whoever helps him to remove his distress and cover his need is rewarded, if Allah wills, like the other foolish and negligent people. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.