Is it permissible for my husband to give his Zakat money to my mother for two consecutive years to cover the costs of her Hajj, given her financial inability to do so in the coming years?

The categories of Zakat expenditure are divinely ordained. Jurists have differed regarding whether Hajj is one of these categories, holding two opinions. One opinion permits giving Zakat to someone performing the obligatory Hajj if they do not possess sufficient funds for the pilgrimage. This is the view of the Hanbalis, who cite the Hadith of Umm Ma'qil as evidence. The fatwa adopted on our website is that Hajj is not among the categories of Zakat expenditure. However, for someone who follows the other opinion by way of taqlid (emulation) and gives their Zakat to someone performing the obligatory Hajj, we hope that it will suffice them.