Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Can I give Zakat to the following people or are they
considered too close to me to give them Zakat?
1. My father””s wife (because my father is dead)
2. My wife””s mother (because her husband is dead).
3. My aunt (because her husband is dead), and
4. Does one have to tell the Zakat recipient that the
money he is receiving is Zakat?
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
You may give zakat to the above-mentioned people, because they are relatives that you are not obliged to support. As for your last question, you do not need to tell them that what you are giving them is zakat.
Actually, it is better to give one’s zakat to relatives and family, for it brings hearts together and binds family ties. The importance of maintaining bonds of kinship is summed up in the following hadith qudsi.
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace, said that Allah Most High says, “I am al-Rahman (the All-Merciful) and this rahm (womb), I derived its name from my name. So whoever stays connected to it, I will be connected to Him, and whoever cuts it off, I will be cut off from him.”
And Allah alone knows best.