Zakaat - Rules and modern issues

The command to give the Zakaat to one’s relatives

One can’t give Zakaat to one’s parents, one’s grandparents, great grandparents and so on.  In the same way, one can’t give Zakaat to one’s children, one’s grandchildren, one’s great grandchildren and so on.  Also husband and wife can’t give Zakaat to each other.  Apart from them, one can give Zakaat to all other relatives, provided they are needy and they are not from the family of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  It is more preferable to give Zakaat to one’s relatives than to other people.

In this one will receive a two-fold reward, one of giving Zakaat and the other of kind treatment of relatives.  As mentioned in the following Hadith of Jame’ Tirmidhi:

Translation: Hadhrat Rabaab narrates on the authority of her paternal uncle Salman bin A’amir (May Allah be well pleased with him) and he relates from the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:….Spending on a needy person is charity and spending on relatives includes both charity and kind treatment.  (Jame’ Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 660)

For the person giving Zakaat, it is better that he/she should first give Zakaat to one’s needy brothers and sisters, then their children, then other relatives like paternal uncle, paternal aunt, etc., then their children and then other relatives like maternal uncle, maternal aunt, etc., then their children.

As mentioned in Fatawa A’alamgiri, Vol. 1, Pg. No. 190.

Then other relatives should be considered.  If there is none who deserves Zakaat among the relatives, then the neighbors should be considered, then people from one’s occupation should be considered.

As mentioned in Fatawa A’alamgiri, Vol. 1, Pg. No. 190.