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:

ASSALAM ALEKUIM?

IS IT APPLICABLE TO GIVE ZAKAT & FITRA TO OUR RELATIVES & WHY?

I WANTED TO GIVE ZAKAT & FITRA TO MY GRANDMOTHER DO I HAVE RIGHTS? 

 

(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:

 

Give zakah to grandmother

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 only to any of the above eight listed categories:

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 listed eight categories only; for all other categories, one may help them through voluntary and supererogatory charity or ‘sadaqah’ but not through ‘Zakah’ funds.

 

Your Question: I WANTED TO GIVE ZAKAT & FITRA TO MY GRANDMOTHER DO I HAVE RIGHTS? 

It is not lawful in Shariah for one to spend of one’s ‘zakah’ dues on those whose financial upkeep is their responsibility in the first place; namely….

1. His parents, grand-parents, great grand-parents, etc.
2. His wife
3. His children, grand-children, great grand-children, etc.

 

One is at absolute liberty to spend as much as one wills or pleases on one’s parents, grand-parents, wife, children, etc. but it cannot be from one’s ‘zakah’ dues.

 

Your Question: IS IT APPLICABLE TO GIVE ZAKAT & FITRA TO OUR RELATIVES & WHY?

Other than one’s immediate kith like parents, wife, children, etc. whose financial upkeep is one’s obligatory responsibility and thus unlawful to spend from ‘zakah’ dues on them….if one finds one amongst their near and/or far relatives (adult brothers, adult sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins, uncles, aunts, etc.) who are poor and/or needy…..Islam guides that these relatives have a bigger right that their ‘zakah’ dues be spent upon them.

 

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Charity for the poor is rewarded as one good deed; but in the case of a relative it is considered as two: [one reward for helping] blood ties, and [the other reward for] the charity [itself]."

Related by Ahmad, an-Nasa'i, and at-Tirmidhi.

 

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