Is it permissible to pay Zakat to cover the treatment costs of a brother with a mental illness and to buy him a car to help him with transportation and to meet the family's needs, knowing that he is unemployed and unable to commit to a job?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
It is permissible to give to a poor brother who does not possess enough to cover his basic needs and is unable to earn a living. Giving zakat to him is more meritorious than giving it to others, as it is both charity () and the strengthening of kinship ties (silat ar-rahim). However, purchasing a car for him with zakat is a matter of disagreement among contemporary scholars, and it is more prudent to avoid it.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/110878
Where this answer came from
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 110878
- 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