Answered by SunniPath Answer Service Team
Can a Muslim pay their zakat to his/her own parents if they have no means of income and are living in a different house?
Wa‘alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullah,
The giver cannot materially benefit from giving their zakat. As such, one cannot give zakat to one’s parents, children, or spouse, because benefits between these people are shared. [Ibn Abidin and Haskafi, Radd al-Muhtar `ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar 2.2-4; Ibn al-Humam and Marghinani, Fath al-Qadir Sharh al-Hidaya ]
Please see the following links:
Paying Zakat to One’s Wife
Zakat: Article, Calculation, Salafis, Relatives, and more
Can we pay zakat to a newly converted Muslim even if he or she is not ”miskeen” or poor?
Can zakat be given to a mosque?
Can zakat be given to one’s needy brother or sister
You may also find the following links to be of benefit:
Zakat
What is the definition of zakat?