Those Who May Not Be Given Zakat The scholars are unanimously agreed that it is not permissible to give obligatory zakaah – which includes sadaqat al-fitr – to those on whom one is obliged to spend, such as parents and children. The basic principle is that anyone on whom you are not obliged to spend, it is permissible for you to give zakaah to him. One should not give zakaah to one’s father, mother, grandfather or grandmother. None of the obligatory zakaah should be given to parents no matter how far the line of ascent goes (i.e., grandfathers and grandmothers) or to children, no matter how far the line of descent goes (i.e., grandchildren). It is permissible to give zakaat al-fitr and zakaah of one’s wealth to relatives who are poor, and in fact giving it to relatives is better than giving it to strangers because giving it to relatives is both charity and upholding ties of kinship. It is not permissible to give to someone who is wealthy, or strong and capable of earning but is lazy to do so. It is also not permissible for the household of Muhammad sallallahu alaihe wassallam to receive it. A wife can give Zakah to her husband because he is not her dependant so it is not her responsibility to look after him. The proof is the hadith of Zainab (ra) the wife of Ibn Masud (ra). Ibn Masud told her that it would be better for her to give him her Zakah as it would be better for her – it would be twice the reward, one reward for giving the Zakah and another for looking after relations. She checked with the Prophet (SAW) who affirmed Ibn Masud’s statement.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 22:53:06 +0000
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