Which is more befitting: to pay off my father's debt of 13,000 Riyals, or to donate to the needy in Syria, knowing that the available amount is 14,000 Riyals?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
If your father is in financial hardship, paying off his debt is better than donating to a distant person, because it is both an act of maintaining kinship ties (silat al-rahim) and charity (). However, if your father is well-off and there is someone in greater need, then donating to that person is better, such as the displaced people of Syria. It is commendable to start with the closest relatives when giving charity, unless others are in greater need, in which case they should be prioritized. Charity given to a person in dire necessity is multiplied manifold.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/141153
Where this answer came from
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 141153
- 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