Giving Zakāt to Your Sister; What are the Conditions?

30th June 2021

 

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Question: My younger sister is a widow with two children. She has a job which can pay for her daughters fees only. She lives with her in-law who although are considerate but have financial limitations themselves. They do not finance her in any way. She comes to visit sometimes with my mother who is also a widow & cannot support her financially. We have no brothers and she cannot pay for her other living expenses because her salary is not enough. The bedroom set and TV in her room it’s from when her husband was alive. The jewellery that she has from her dowry and her husband belong now to her daughters. Both the daughter are minors now. My sister has also health issues like asthma. She is very proud and never asks for anything from us. I wanted to ask if she is eligible for Zakāt or not? As a sister is it not my first obligation towards relative. I am a housewife & my husband is the bread earner

 

الجواب حامداً و مصلياً

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer: In reference to your query, the general principle is that anyone who has additional savings equal or above the threshold of Nisāb or assets beyond their basic necessities; house, basic furniture, clothing and conveyance equivalent to the Nisāb value is considered rich and not eligible for Zakāt. It is only that person who possesses earnings equal or below the threshold of Nisāb or household assets but utilised for their daily essentials and have nothing thereafter who are eligible for Zakāt.[1]

Concerning your case, the dowry that was given to your sister at the time of marriage belongs to her unless she has fully gifted it to her daughters and is not in her possession anymore.[2]

She will calculate the value of the TV and any excess belongings she has in her possession.  If all of this combined reaches the value of Nisāb (612.35 grams of silver or 87.479 grams of gold) or any currency that equals this amount) then she is not eligible for Zakāt.[3] If however, those excess assets do not value to the Nisāb given above then she would be eligible to receive Zakāt. As a sister, you are allowed to give your Zakāt to her and in doing so it will be more rewarding. [4]

 

 

[Allāh Knows Best]

 

Written by:  Mufti Anas Mullah        Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed

Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam

JKN Fatawa Department

 

 

[1]  Ibn Nujaym, Al Bahr al Raiq, Kitabuz Zakaat, vol 2, p 258

وَالْأَوْلَى أَنْ يُفَسَّرَ الْفَقِيرُ بِمَنْ لَهُ مَا دُونَ النِّصَابِ كَمَا فِي النُّقَايَةِ أَخْذًا مِنْ قَوْلِهِمْ يَجُوزُ دَفْعُ الزَّكَاةِ إلَى مَنْ يَمْلِكُ مَا دُونَ النِّصَابِ أَوْ قَدْرَ نِصَابٍ غَيْرِ تَامٍّ، وَهُوَ مُسْتَغْرِقٌ فِي الْحَاجَةِ، وَلَا خِلَافَ فِي أَنَّهُمَا صِنْفَانِ هُوَ الصَّحِيحُ؛

 

[2] Raddul Muhtaar, Kitabuz Zakaat, Bab al Masraf, vol 2, p 339

 أَيْ مَصْرِفِ الزَّكَاةِ وَالْعُشْرِ، وَأَمَّا خُمُسُ الْمَعْدِنِ فَمَصْرِفُهُ كَالْغَنَائِمِ (هُوَ فَقِيرٌ، وَهُوَ مَنْ لَهُ أَدْنَى شَيْءٍ) أَيْ دُونَ نِصَابٍ أَوْ قَدْرُ نِصَابٍ غَيْرِ نَامٍ مُسْتَغْرِقٍ فِي الْحَاجَةِ.(وَمِسْكِينٌ مَنْ لَا شَيْءَ لَهُ) عَلَى الْمَذْهَبِ، – لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى {أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ} [البلد: ١٦]- وَآيَةُ السَّفِينَةِ لِلتَّرَحُّمِ

 

[3] [3] Fatawa Hindiyya, Kitabuz Zakaat, Bab al Masarif, vol 1, p 187

(مِنْهَا الْفَقِيرُ) وَهُوَ مَنْ لَهُ أَدْنَى شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ مَا دُونَ النِّصَابِ أَوْ قَدْرُ نِصَابٍ غَيْرُ نَامٍ وَهُوَ مُسْتَغْرَقٌ فِي الْحَاجَةِ فَلَا يُخْرِجُهُ عَنْ الْفَقِيرِ مِلْكُ نُصُبٍ كَثِيرَةٍ غَيْرِ نَامِيَةٍ إذَا كَانَتْ مُسْتَغْرَقَةً بِالْحَاجَةِ كَذَا فِي فَتْحِ الْقَدِيرِ. التَّصَدُّقُ عَلَى الْفَقِيرِ الْعَالِمِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ التَّصَدُّقِ عَلَى الْجَاهِلِ كَذَا فِي الزَّاهِدِيِّ.

 

[4] Al Bahr al Raaiq, Kitab uz Zakaata, Bab al Massarif, vol2, p262

قَوْلُهُ وَأَصْلِهِ، وَإِنْ عَلَا وَفَرْعِهِ، وَإِنْ سَفَلَ) بِالْجَرِّ أَيْ لَا يَجُوزُ الدَّفْعُ إلَى أَبِيهِ وَجَدِّهِ، وَإِنْ عَلَا، وَلَا إلَى وَلَدِهِ وَوَلَدِ وَلَدِهِ، وَإِنْ سَفَلَ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمَنْفَعَةَ لَمْ تَنْقَطِعْ عَنْ الْمِلْكِ مِنْ كُلِّ وَجْهٍ كَمَا قَدَّمَهُ فِي تَعْرِيفِ الزَّكَاةِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْوَاجِبَ عَلَيْهِ الْإِخْرَاجُ عَنْ مِلْكِهِ رَقَبَةً وَمَنْفَعَةً، وَلَمْ يُوجَدْ فِي الْأُصُولِ وَالْفُرُوعِ الْإِخْرَاجُ عَنْ مِلْكِهِ مَنْفَعَةً وَإِنْ وَجَدَ رَقَبَةً، وَفِي عَبْدِهِ وُجِدَ الْإِخْرَاجُ مَنْفَعَةً لَا رَقَبَةً كَذَا فِي الْمُسْتَصْفَى، وَفِيهِ إشَارَةٌ إلَى أَنَّ هَذَا الْحُكْمَ لَا يَخُصُّ الزَّكَاةَ بَلْ كُلُّ صَدَقَةٍ وَاجِبَةٍ لَا يَجُوزُ دَفْعُهَا لَهُمْ كَأَحَدِ الزَّوْجَيْنِ كَالْكَفَّارَاتِ وَصَدَقَةِ الْفِطْرِ وَالنُّذُورِ، وَقُيِّدَ بِأَصْلِهِ وَفَرْعِهِ؛ لِأَنَّ مَنْ سِوَاهُمْ مِنْ الْقَرَابَةِ يَجُوزُ الدَّفْعُ لَهُمْ، وَهُوَ أَوْلَى لِمَا فِيهِ مِنْ الصِّلَةِ مَعَ الصَّدَقَةِ كَالْإِخْوَةِ وَالْأَخَوَاتِ وَالْأَعْمَامِ وَالْعَمَّاتِ وَالْأَخْوَالِ وَالْخَالَاتِ الْفُقَرَاءِ وَلِهَذَا قَالَ فِي الْفَتَاوَى الظَّهِيرِيَّةِ: يَبْدَأُ فِي الصَّدَقَاتِ بِالْأَقَارِبِ ثُمَّ الْمَوَالِي ثُمَّ الْجِيرَانِ