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:
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
