Is it permissible to give zakat to pay off a debt on behalf of an imprisoned person, or for the creditor to deduct his debt from zakat money?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
It is permissible to disburse to the debtor to settle his debt, because he is among the gharimin (those in debt). As for giving Zakat to the creditor, if it is with the debtor's permission, there is no problem. But if it is without his permission, it is a matter of dispute: The Hanafis and Shafi'is hold that it is not valid, while the Hanbalis consider it valid. The more cautious approach is to inform the debtor and seek his permission, or to hand him the money so he can pay off his debt himself.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/54655
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 54655
- 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