Can Zakat Be Given to Cover Medical Expenses for a Poor Relative?

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick

Question

Can zakat be given to cover medical expenses for a poor relative?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

When giving zakat, the primary consideration is whether the recipient qualifies as a rightful recipient, not the specific purpose for which the zakat will be used. What matters is that the person is genuinely in need and falls into one of the categories mentioned in the Quran.

Eligibility: Poverty and Relationship

Being poor or needy is sufficient for a person to be eligible for zakat. A poor individual is someone who either has almost nothing to meet their basic needs or does not have enough to fully cover them.

Regarding relatives, there are two possibilities:

1. Dependent relatives: If the relative is your dependent, meaning you are legally obligated to provide for them (nafaka), then zakat is not given to them because you must already cover their expenses directly.
2. Non-dependent relatives: If the relative is in need but is not your dependent, such as an uncle, aunt, or cousin, then it is not only permissible to give zakat to them, it is actually preferable. The principle is to begin with those closest to you before giving to others.

Purpose of Zakat

The intended use of zakat funds, whether for medical expenses, debts, or other needs, is not the concern of the giver. Once zakat is given to a qualified recipient, it is their prerogative how to use it. If they fail in their responsibility regarding its use, they will be accountable before Allah, not the giver.

This is an important lesson that extends to all forms of charity, not just zakat: the responsibility of the giver ends once the zakat reaches a qualified recipient.

And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.

Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.

He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.

Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town. He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.