Is it permissible to give zakat to one's brother to help him with divorce expenses, and what is the maximum amount that can be given to him?
The categories for zakat recipients are eight, and one of them is the gharim (debtor). A gharim is a debtor who is unable to pay off his debt. If your brother has been divorced and has accumulated debts related to it, without the ability to pay them off, it is permissible for you to give him from your zakat to settle his debts. However, if the divorce has not yet occurred, it is not permissible to give him zakat to pay off expected debts, because the debt must be binding and actualized for someone to be considered a gharim.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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