Is it permissible for the zakat payer to disburse their zakat funds to settle the debt of their insolvent debtor?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
It is not permissible to give to your brother to repay a debt he owes you, because that would be a cancellation of the debt and an accounting of it as zakat, which protects your own money. However, it is permissible to give him zakat for him to repay debts he owes to others, or for him to use it for his other needs, if he is eligible to receive zakat.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/33788
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 33788
- 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