Can one give zakah to sister.

Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Can I use the zakat money to sponsor other( My sisters) for HAJJ ?

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Can one give zakah to sister

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 60:

60      Alms are for the poor, and the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds), for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to the Truth), for those in bondage and in debt, in the Cause of Allah, and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah and Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom.

 

Allah Subhanah has prescribed that ‘zakah’ should be paid to any of the above eight listed categories only:

  1. To the poor
  2. To the needy
  3. To those who are employed to administer the zakah funds
  4. To those whose hearts have recently been reconciled to the Truth of Islam (new-muslims)
  5. For those in bondage
  6. For those in debt
  7. In the Cause of Allah
  8. To the way-farer or traveler

 

Allah Subhanah has Commanded and Guided the believers that ‘Zakah’ must be distributed to any of the above eight categories only; for all other categories, one may help them through voluntary and supererogatory charity or ‘sadaqah’ but not through ‘Zakah’ funds.

 

The only people one is prohibited in Shariah to give ‘zakah’ to, even if they fall amongst the above listed eight eligible categories are those individuals whose financial upkeep is ones obligatory responsibility and duty in Shariah: like one’s parents, one’s wife and one’s children. 

 

It is permissible for one to spend of one’s ‘zakah’ dues on one’s sister, if indeed the state of one’s sister happens to be poor or needy, or falls under one of the other above listed eight categories of eligibility.

 

Your Question: Can I use the zakat money to sponsor other( My sisters) for HAJJ ?

Firstly, the pilgrimage of Hajj is only obligatory for those believers who are physically and financially able to afford the journey….if one is poor and cannot afford the Hajj journey and stay, one would be excused from this obligatory duty in the Presence of their Lord Most Merciful.

 

If one finds one’s sister is poor and/or needy, she has a bigger right that her brother distribute a portion (or all) of his ‘zakah’ dues to her.  The absolute majority of the scholars and jurists in Islam are of the opinion that it would not be appropriate to ‘sponsor’ someone to the pilgrimage of Hajj or Umrah from their ‘zakah’ dues…but rather they should give their ‘zakah’ dues to the eligible believers, and allow those who receive the ‘zakah’ to spend it on their needs or on whatever they will and please. 

 

If one who receives the ‘zakah’ chooses to spend a portion of that receipt to perform the Hajj for themselves, that is entirely their choice and decision.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan

 

 

 

 
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