๐ Question: What is the ruling on paying Zakah for one's brother, or sister, or uncle, or auntie, and other relatives who are poor/needy?
๐ Answer: There is no problem if a male or female Muslim pays the Zakah on their needy brother, sister, uncle, auntie, and other poor relatives. According to some evidences, by giving them Sadaqah or Zakah (for Allah's sake) one receives the rewards of both doing charity and maintaining family ties, as it was reported that the noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "(the rewards of) Sadaqah on the poor is charity, and on one's relative is both charity and maintaining family ties."
One's parents and children are an exception because one does not pay Zakah on them even if they were poor, but what is obliged upon them to do is to responsibly spend on them from one's money as much as possible, especially if one can't find anybody else to take care of their financial needs besides themselves.
Allah the Almighty knows best.
From the Fataawa of sheikh AbdulAziz Ibn Baz (May Allah have mercy on him. Ameen.)
๐ Lesson: You can do charity on poor relatives such as your siblings who are in need, your aunties, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. Your parents and children are not to be given Zakah (the obligatory charity, if one is financially capable) because it is your duty in the first place to spend on them and responsibility to make sure their needs are met.
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๐ Salman Ibn 'Aamir RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Verily, charity (Sadaqah and Zakah) given to the poor has one reward, and charity given to one's family has two rewards: one for charity and one for upholding family ties."
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 658
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani
๐ Abu Mas'ud Al-Ansaary RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "If a Muslim spends on his family seeking reward from Allah, it is (regarded as) charity for him."
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 5351, Sahih Muslim 1002
Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (Authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim
https://binbaz.org.sa/fatwas/16269/%D8%AD%D9%83%D9%85-%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A8
https://binbaz.org.sa/audios/2258/108-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AB-%D8%A7%D8%B0%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%81%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%84%D9%87-%D9%86%D9%81%D9%82%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%AA%D8%B3%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%A7-%D9%81%D9%87%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%B5%D8%AF%D9%82%D8%A9
