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:

Looking for a deal? Find great prices on flights and hotels with Yahoo! FareChase.

Assalamualaikom.Thank you for your enlightening answers. May the Almighty Allah will shower you with His blessings.

I just want to ask more about giving Zakah. Does your parents or family members covered with Zakah? This is the situation.

1. My father died several years ago. Our mother and our younger brothers and sister (all studying in school) get their financial support from what we give to them. My mother is in her mid 60s and is maintaining medications for her hypertension and rheumatism and regularly visiting her doctor for check-up. This is substantial amount because her maintenance medicines are expensive and we don't want her to miss taking her medications. She is in need and she has no other source of income. We know that it is our obligation to give her all her needs but in her situation now, can we give our zakah to our mother other than the financial support we give for her basic needs? 

2. Our brothers and sister depend their financial needs from what we give to them. It is our obligation also to help them in their needs but they also need substantial amounts, can they receive our zakah?

3. Our household helper is a new-Muslim. She has 3 daughters (2 of them are in school and bothe are studying Islam) and one son. Her children financial needs depend on the insufficient amount she sent to them. Is she also a recipient of our Zakah?

4. We are saving money for our own house. Are we obliged to pay zakah with our savings (more than $1,000) yearly?

I appreciate very much if you can provide answers to my querries. Thank you.

Wassalaam.

(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:

Zakah clarification

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.

Your Question: I just want to ask more about giving Zakah. Does your parents or family members covered with Zakah?..... can we give our zakah to our mother other than the financial support we give for her basic needs? 

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

60 Alms (zakah) 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

It is not lawful in Islam for a believer to spend from their ‘zakah’ dues on those whose financial upkeep is their obligatory duty and responsibility. They include:

1. One’s wife
2. One’s children
3. One’s parents

Your Question: Our brothers and sister depend their financial needs from what we give to them. It is our obligation also to help them in their needs but they also need substantial amounts, can they receive our zakah?

Brothers, sisters, near or far relatives, etc. do not fall under the category of those who are under one’s wards or responsibility….thus if one finds one amongst one’s own kith and kith poor or needy, because of their bond of kinship, these relatives have the biggest right that their ‘zakah’ dues be spent on 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.

If one finds that one (or more) amongst their own blood relatives or kith or kin, especially one’s own brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. are poor or needy, then they have the biggest right that ones zakah dues are distributed amongst them.

Your Question: Our household helper is a new-Muslim. She has 3 daughters (2 of them are in school and bothe are studying Islam) and one son. Her children financial needs depend on the insufficient amount she sent to them. Is she also a recipient of our Zakah?

Not only would this household helper of yours fall under categories 1 & 2 listed above amongst the eligible recipients of ‘zakah’ in Shariah, she would also fall under category 4…..there is absolutely no harm if one wishes to spend on such a needy and new-muslim sister-in-faith from their ‘zakah’ dues.

Your Question: We are saving money for our own house. Are we obliged to pay zakah with our savings (more than $1,000) yearly?

Listed below are the two underlying principles when determining ‘zakah’:

1. If the total net worth of any believer (man, woman, or child) is more than the prescribed ‘nisaab’ of 7.5 tolas of gold (app. 85 grams or app. Value US$2,100.00), then the person is liable to pay the obligatory zakat of 2.5% on their excess wealth which has been in their possession for a full calendar year.

2. For the purpose of determining ‘zakah’, the ‘Net Excess Assets’ would be the current market value of all of one’s assets (properties, jewelry, cash, etc.) except:

1. the value of the house one owns and actually lives in
2. the value of the car/vehicle one uses on a regular basis
3. the value of the furniture and fixtures one uses on a regular basis.

You would indeed be liable to pay the annual ‘zakah’ on your total cash savings, absolutely regardless of the purpose of the savings. Once you actually live in the house you intend to own, only then would you be exempt from paying ‘zakah’ on the value of the house…for the house one owns and lives in is exempt from ‘zakah’ in Shariah.

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