Can we give zakat money to a relative to rebilut a demaged house.
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 we
give zakat money to a relative to rebilut a demaged house not worth living to
build it again, even if he is earning but not enough to rebuilt his demaged
house.
(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 to 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.
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:
- To
the poor
- To
the needy
- To
those who are employed to administer the zakah funds
- To
those whose hearts have recently been reconciled to the Truth of Islam
(new-muslims)
- For
those in bondage
- For
those in debt
- In
the Cause of Allah
- To
the way-farer or traveler
It is not permissible in Shariah for one to give or spend
from ‘zakah’ dues on those who are directly under one’s responsibility (ie.
parents, wife, children, etc.).
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 ‘zakah’ dues
are 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 amongst their own blood relatives or
kith or kin are poor and need funds to upgrade their accommodation, there is
absolutely no harm in spending on them from one’s ‘zakah’ dues 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