Question:

I heard that we can give zakat to our family members who are in need of financial support.  
 
I have a sister in law who is a divorcee with two children.  Her ex-husband has to pay for maintenance about A$600 per month.  i am not sure whether she is eligible to receive zakat from me.  she lives with her mother and other siblings so in a way she is not really in very hard financial position because they provide the extra support. Anyway, i still like to know whether i could give some of my zakat to her without her knowledge that it is my zakat contribution.
 
Jazakallah.

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Apart from one's ascendants (parents, grandparents and great grandparents etc.) and descendants (children, grandchildren and great grandchildren etc.), it is permissible to give zakat money to other relatives, provided that they are eligible to receive zakat. Hence, if one's brothers, sisters, maternal/paternal uncles and aunts and their children are eligible to receive zakat, it will be permissible to give zakat to them.

Hence, it will be permissible for you to give your zakat money to your sister in-law, provided that she is eligible to receive zakat.

As for the question: who is eligible to receive zakat? The answer to this is that a Muslim is eligible to receive zakat if the total value of the following 5 types of his assets is less than the 'zakat nisab' (check our website for the current zakat nisab):

1) cash savings
2) gold
3) silver
4) merchandise (i.e. goods purchased with the intention of selling)
5) unnecessary items (such as TV, VCR, more than 3 pairs of clothes, etc). (Ahsanul Fatawa: 4/264)

• If the person is in debt then the amount that he owes will be subtracted from the total value of the above assets.
  
  
• The following things are regarded as necessities of life and, hence, not included in the above assets: a house to stay in, clothes that are worn (upto three pairs), furniture that is in use and tools needed for one’s trade.
  

You should use the information above to determine if your sister in-law is eligible to receive zakat.
 
As for the $600 that her ex-husband gives to her every month, it belongs to her children, not to her (as it is maintenance money for the children). Hence, this money will not be counted as part of her assets.

It is not necessary to inform the person whom one is giving zakat money that it is zakat money. (Al-Fatawa Al-Hindiyya: 1/171, Maktaba Rashidya)

And Allah knows best.

Mufti Faizal Riza
15/7/2012
Darul Ifta Australia
www.mufti-online.net  

Answer approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Mufti Emran Vawda
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiya, South Africa 

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