Paying Zakaah to Brother

9-7-2003 | IslamWeb

Question:

Can I pay Zakah to my brother who needs to open a shop for his earnings? He already has a small shop but not getting enough to meet his daily expenses for his family.
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

If your brother's earnings do not suffice him, then he is considered one of the Zakaah recipients and there is no objection to your giving him your Zakaah. Allah Says (what means): {Zakaah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakaah] ...} [Quran 9: 60]

The fact that your brother has some funds does not take him out of the categories who deserve Zakaah.

Imaam Al-Mawardi may Allaah have mercy upon him said: “The Miskeen (needy) is the person who possesses something but that does not suffice him.”

For more benefit on the permissibility of giving Zakaah to relatives, please refer to Fataawa 382261, 324961, 156117, and 89550.

Allah knows best.

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