Is it permissible for this poor widow, who is 70 years old and has an accumulated amount of money from zakat and what her husband left behind, to give away the surplus money beyond her needs in charity, or should she save it for the future since she has no one to support her?
If a woman is among the poor who do not have enough to suffice them, and she has no maintainer, then it is permissible to give her Zakat to the extent of her need. If her need is met, it is not permissible to give her Zakat, and she must not accept it. If the money she possesses reaches the nisab and a year has passed over it, she must pay her Zakat. It is recommended for her to give voluntary charity, and she may save whatever she wishes as long as she pays its Zakat. What a woman takes from Zakat after her needs have been met, she must return to its owner for him to disburse it in the rightful channels of Zakat.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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