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:

My husband says that poor people from his side i.e distant family and village have the right to zakat that we have to disburse. poor people from wife`s (my) side have no right. i am not allowed to pay any portion of my zakat to people of my side. kindly throw some light on this. 

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Answer:

Zakah to family relatives

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.

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.

There is absolutely no doubt that one’s poor and needy relatives have a bigger right that ‘sadaqah’ and ‘zakah’ dues be spent on them. The Messenger of Allah (saws) declared that charity spent on one’s poor and needy relatives will earn a double reward in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

Your Question: …..my husband says that poor people from his side i.e distant family and village have the right to zakat that we have to disburse. poor people from wife`s (my) side have no right. i am not allowed to pay any portion of my zakat to people of my side.kindly throw some light on this. 

Islam has allowed and ordained that the believing woman has a right to her own wealth and property, and she is at absolute liberty to spend from her wealth and her charity dues on whomever she wills and pleases.

The husband is well within his rights to spend of his own wealth and his charity dues unto his blood relatives; but he has absolutely no right to demand or stop his wife disbursing her wealth or her charity dues unto her own blood relatives!

If your husband has indeed declared that your blood relatives have absolutely no right on your wealth or your charity dues, or has stopped you from distributing your charity unto your poor and needy blood relatives….indeed he is in manifest error and declared something which is absolutely against the clear Guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws)!

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