Which is more deserving of the monthly charity money: is it paying off debt, or giving it to needy relatives as a form of piety and charity, or giving it to non-relatives who have no financial income?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Giving charity to the needy is one of the best ways to draw closer to Allah, and Allah compensates the one who spends. However, obligatory spending on needy parents must be prioritized; it takes precedence over repaying debt if it is impossible to do both. If the parents are not needy but helping them provides them with more ease, then giving charity to them is more deserving than to others. But if giving charity conflicts with repaying debt, then repaying debt takes precedence because it is obligatory, while charity is supererogatory.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/95852
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 95852
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy