Is it permissible to give zakat to a brother who has not completed his studies and has not found a job due to health conditions, and relies on his father for his expenses?
Paying Zakat to needy relatives is better than paying it to others because it is both charity and maintaining kinship ties. A condition for the permissibility of paying Zakat to them is that the recipient must not be someone whose maintenance is obligatory upon the Zakat payer. So, if the brother is poor and the father cannot provide for him, it is permissible to pay Zakat to him. The Permanent Committee has issued a fatwa permitting the disbursement of Zakat to brothers if they are poor. Sheikh Al-Uthaymeen mentioned that if paying Zakat to relatives does not relieve you of an obligation, such as their maintenance not being obligatory upon you or your wealth not being able to cover their expenses, then paying Zakat to them is permissible; in fact, it is preferable and better, because it is both charity and maintaining kinship ties.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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