Is it permissible to give Zakat to a poor head of household to enable him to purchase tools for a trade or merchandise, or to help him achieve a dignified life that wouldSpare him from begging in the future, even if the amount of money given exceeds the Zakat nisab?

It has been authenticated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: «Whoever says: Astaghfirullah al-ladhi la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyumu wa atubu ilayh (I seek forgiveness from Allah, other than Whom there is no god, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, and I repent to Him), his sins will be forgiven, even if he had fled from the battlefield.» This was narrated by al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, and al-Hakim. Al-Hakim said: "It is authentic according to the conditions of Muslim," and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. This is a great supplication indicating a great virtue, and it is among the formulas of seeking forgiveness.

As for what al-Shawkani, may Allah have mercy on him, said in "Tuhfat al-Dhakirin": "The imams of Hadith have agreed that it is not authentic from the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud, but rather it is authentic from the hadith of Zayd ibn Harithah - may Allah be pleased with both of them -" [end quote]. This is not explicit in weakening it or rejecting it entirely.

Indeed, a group of Hadith imams authenticated the hadith, and we have mentioned among them al-Tirmidhi, al-Hakim, and al-Dhahabi. Ibn Hibban narrated it in his Sahih, and likewise al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman from the hadith of Zayd ibn Harithah, with a wording similar to the one mentioned. Al-Bayhaqi said: "We narrated from Abu Hurayrah with a weak isnad (chain of narration)" [end quote].

In summary: This hadith has been authenticated by a group of scholars, who acted upon it and mentioned it in books of adhkar (remembrances) and supplications. It is one of those hadiths that are strengthened by each other's narrations, and Shaykh al-Albani deemed it hasan (good) due to its totality of chains in "Al-Silsilah al-Sahihah."

And Allah knows best.