Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Since you can give zakat to one’s needy (biological) brother/sister, can you give it to them as a gift with the intention of it being zakat on your end? Or must you give it to your bro/sis and say that this is zakat for you?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate.
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
I pray that you are well and in the best of health and spirits, Sidi.
It is not a condition for the payment of zakat that the eligible receiver know that what they are receiving is zakat.
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani