Is it permissible for a newly married woman, who has a large debt predating her marriage, to seek help from her relatives and friends to repay the debt without informing her husband, and is she entitled to Zakat funds?

The basic principle is that it is not permissible to ask people for their money except out of necessity, and men and women are equal in this regard. However, if a woman does not have money to pay off her debt, she may seek assistance from relatives and female friends, without informing her husband if the husband is not obligated to pay his wife's debt. She may also take Zakat money to pay off her debt, because a debtor who is unable to fulfill their obligation is considered among the gharimin (those in debt) who are eligible for Zakat.