Is it permissible to give Zakat al-Mal to a children's cancer hospital?

The recipients of zakat (definition) are specified by religious law. It is not permissible to give zakat to those outside these categories; otherwise, it must be returned. Building and equipping hospitals is not among the categories for zakat. It is difficult to ensure that zakat spent in hospitals is used for its religiously sanctioned purposes, as it might be spent on those not entitled to it, such as the wealthy, non-Muslims, or on general hospital equipment. Illness alone is not a reason for eligibility for zakat; rather, the patient must be poor or needy, a Muslim, or indebted to the hospital. The Permanent Committee has issued a fatwa (definition) stating the impermissibility of giving zakat to such charitable funds in hospitals due to the lack of complete certainty that the beneficiaries fall within the religiously sanctioned categories for zakat. The religiously permissible solution for someone who wishes to give their zakat to the sick is to personally seek out needy patients and give them the zakat directly.