The Father Taking the Child’s Zakaah
Fatwa No: 379468

Question

As Salaamu AlaikumQuestion about the Zakat .My uncle give zakaat money to my father.My father spent money in home for foods etc.. But I capable for paying zakaat. And I'm unmarried and live with family.Can I eat those Food which are bought by my father from zakaat money ?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

There is nothing wrong if one who is not eligible to take Zakaah eats from the food of the one who takes Zakaah. The Prophet ate from the Zakaah which was given to Bareerah, while it is forbidden for him to take Zakaah, and then said: “It is Zakaah for her, but it is a gift from her to us.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

You must make sure that your father is eligible to take Zakaah (from you), because if he is poor or needy and you are rich and have surplus money after you spend on your needs, then you are obliged to spend on him.

Ibn Qudaamah said: “A person is compelled to spend on his parents and his children (males and females) if they are poor and he has enough money to spend on them. This is the principle ruling in the matter which is supported by the Quran, the Sunnah and the consensus of the scholars [..] as for the consensus of the scholars, then Ibn Al-Munthir said: ‘The scholars have agreed in consensus that the expenses of the poor parents who do not have a source of income and who have no money, is mandatory upon the child. This is the consensus conveyed from all the scholars we heard from'.” [end of quote]

If the father is sufficed by what you spend on him, then he would not be entitled to take your Zakaah because he would not be poor then.

Allah knows best.

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