Question:
Assalaam aleykum wr wb ya Sayyidi MSN (q) and MSH, and holy family and to beloved ‘e shaykh staff ‘.
Plz forgive me for any short-coming of adab.
I would like to know that when giving zakat is it allowable for me to give it to a family member who is divorced and raising her children alone?
Jzk
Answer:
wa `alaykum salam,
Zakat can be spent on persons for the following purposes:
(i) It may be given to a poor person, who does not possess actual or potential means to meet his own expenses, as well as that of his family for a period of one year. However, a person who has an art or possesses property or capital to meet his expenses, is not classified as poor.
(ii) It may be paid to a miskin (a destitute person) who leads a harder life than a Faqir (a poor person).
Imam Senad Agic, Ph.D.
Head Imam (IABNA)
The Islamic Association of Bosniaks in North America
www.mesihat.com
