Is it permissible to give zakat to relatives in Iraq (brothers, sisters, and their children) due to the current circumstances there, bearing in mind that the muzakki is residing in Libya?
Scholars have differed on the permissibility of transferring zakat from the country where the wealth is located to another country. The Shafi'is and Hanbalis held that it is not permissible to transfer it a distance greater than that which shortens prayers (qasr), citing the hadith of Mu'adh as evidence. The Malikis agreed with them, with the exception of a case where there is someone more in need in another country, in which case the transfer becomes obligatory. As for the Hanafis, they did not see the transfer as obligatory, similar to the view of the Malikis. The more cautious approach is to pay zakat to its rightful recipients in the same country where the wealth is located, in order to avoid disagreement.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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