Is it permissible to give Zakat on money to divorced sisters who live in their parents' home or alone and are in debt, knowing that the questioner helps his mother with household expenses? Can these debts be paid off with Zakat money?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
It is permissible to give to needy sisters, and it is considered an act of charity and maintaining kinship ties. They are allowed to use it to fulfill their permissible needs, including paying off debts. As for the mother, it is not permissible to give her from Zakat based on poverty and destitution, because her maintenance is obligatory. However, it is permissible to give her from Zakat to pay off her debt if the debt was incurred for a permissible reason.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/117469
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 117469
- 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