Can a woman give Zakaah to her poor husband?

by Asma bint Shameem

ANSWER

Yes it is permissible for a woman to give Zakaah to her husband if he’s poor or needy.

📌 Proof:

Zaynab, the wife of ‘Abd-Allaah, Radhi Allaahu anhumaa said:

“The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said:

‘Give in charity, O women, even if it is from your jewelry.’

I went back to ‘Abd-Allaah and said, ‘You are a man who has little, and the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ has commanded us to give in charity.

Go and ask him if that is acceptable, otherwise I will give my charity to someone else.’ ‘

Abd-Allaah said to me, ‘No, you go and ask him.’

So I went, and there I saw a woman from among the Ansaar at the door of the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ wanting to ask the same question.

We felt too shy to speak to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ.

Bilaal came out to us and we said to him, ‘Go to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ and tell him that there are two women at the door asking whether it is acceptable for them to give charity (zakaah) to their husbands and the orphans who are in their care, but do not tell him who we are.’

Bilaal went in to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ and asked him, and the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ asked,

‘Who are they?’

He said, ‘A woman from among the Ansaar and Zaynab.’

The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ asked, ‘Which Zaynab?’

He said, ‘The wife of ‘Abd-Allaah.’

The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said to him:

“They will have two rewards, the reward of (upholding ties of) kinship and the reward of giving charity.’”

(al-Bukhaari 1466 and Muslim 1000)

🍃 And in another narration, Zaynab Radhi Allaahu anhaa said:

“O Prophet of Allaah, today you told us to give in charity. I have some jewelry and I want to give it in charity, but Ibn Mas’ood claims that he and his child are more deserving of my charity.”

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Ibn Mas’ood has spoken the truth. Your husband and child are more deserving of your charity.” 

(al-Bukhaari 1462)

🍃 Ibn Hajar said:

“From this hadeeth it may be understood that it is permissible for a woman to give zakaah to her husband.”

🍃 Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:

“The correct view is that it is permissible to give zakaah to one’s husband if he is one of the people who are entitled to zakaah. 

Perhaps evidence for that may be seen in the words that the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam spoke to Zaynab the wife of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood radhi Allaahu anhu: 

“Ibn Mas’ood has spoken the truth. Your husband and child are more deserving of your charity.” 

We may say that this includes both obligatory and voluntary (naafil) charity. 

Whatever the case, if this hadeeth is evidence then all well and good, but if it applies only to voluntary charity then with regard to giving zakaah to one’s husband we say: 

if the husband is poor then he is entitled to zakaah, and where is the evidence that this is not allowed? 

Because if the ruling can only be proven by evidence, there is no evidence either from the Qur’aan or the Sunnah that a woman cannot give her zakaah to her husband.”

[al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (6/168-169)]

🍃 Someone asked the scholars of the Standing Committee:

“Is it permissible for a woman to give the zakaah of her wealth to her husband if he is poor?”

They replied: 

“it is permissible for a woman to give the zakaah of her wealth to her husband if he is poor so as to ward off his poverty, because of the general meaning of the verse in which Allaah says;

“As-Sadaqaat (here it means Zakaah) are only for the Fuqaraa’ (poor), and Al-Masaakeen (the poor)”[al-Tawbah 9:60]”

(Fataawa 10/62)

And Allaah knows best.