Zakaat to own brother/sister or children

[Shafi]

Salaam.

Is it allowed in Islam to give Zakaat to one's own brother or sister or children who are of mature age?

Please let me know.

Jazakallaah Khair.

[Aslam AbuIsmaeel]

Wa alaikumusalaam wa rahmatullah

It IS allowed to give zakah to one's own brother/sister or other relatives such as uncle/aunts etc.

A person is not allowed to give Zakah money to one's own children who are still dependent on parents - in such case, it is like giving zakah to oneself and not allowed.  How about when the children are grown up and 'independent' of parents, can parents give zakah to them?   Right now, I do not know the answer, Allah knows best.  Also, it is not allowed to give zakah to one's own wife as she is his financial responsibility and he'd be like giving zakah to himself.

Wa alaikumsalam

[domenic]

Is it true you should not give zakat to your parents ?

[Aslam AbuIsmaeel]

Assalamu alaikum

We are encouraged to give lot of gifts and show kindness to parents.  As for zakat, we cannot give it to parents.

We are only prohibited from giving zakat to those relatives who are our primary financial dependants (our children, wife and parents - at any time but especially as the parents get old) because giving zakah to them is in effect helping ourselves from having to spend that extra money onto them.  We can still give children and wife gifts etc but not zakat because it is like giving it to oneself.

Parents are also our primary dependants as they get old and need us just as we are theirs when we are young and needy - so giving zakah to them is giving it to ourselves, as sheikh Ibn Baz said, and Allah knows best.

Wassalamu alaikum