Is it permissible to give charity to a man who is in debt and unable to pay it off, or is that permissible only for Zakat? And does the verse, "Indeed, [ prescribed ] charitable offerings are only to be given to the poor and the indigent, and to those who work on [ collecting and distributing ] them, and to those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to [ free ] those in bondage, and to the debt-ridden, and for the cause of God, and to the wayfarer; [ this is ] an obligation from God, and God is all-knowing, all-wise," refer to Sadaqa (charity) or Zakat?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The debtor who is eligible for is one who has incurred debt for a purpose that is not a sin. And whoever is permitted to receive the obligatory zakat is, by scholarly consensus, also permitted to receive voluntary charity and donations, because the category of non-obligatory charity is broader. In the Quran, whenever the term "" (charity) is used in an absolute sense, it refers to the obligatory charity.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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