Giving Zakat to needy distant relatives

9-3-2005 | IslamWeb

Question:

Can I give Zakaah to my mother's grandmother who does not posses money? However she lives with her son who takes care of her needs. Also, can I give Zakaah to one of my relative's handicapped little daughter?
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

 

It is not permissible to give Zakat to the grandmother according to the majority of the scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them especially if her son is providing for her. However, if the son of this grandmother is not a parent or grandparent, but is among the people who are eligible for Zakat which are mentioned in Fataawa: 88368 and 86546, then it would be permissible to pay the Zakat to him; rather this is desirable as the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "Giving charity to the poor is (rewarded as) a charity (only), but giving it to a relative is (rewarded as) a charity and keeping ties with kinship." [An-Nasaa'ee, At-Tirmithi, and Ibn Maajah] The same thing applies to the little handicapped daughter, if she is among the people who are eligible for Zakat which are mentioned in Fataawa: 88368 and 86546, it will be permissible to give Zakat to her. But if she has someone who is rich and provides for her then it would not be permissible to give the Zakat to her as in this case she is not among the people who are eligible for Zakat. Being handicapped is not a trait that makes the person eligible for Zakat.

Allaah knows best.

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