Q.1. Our family’s title is Syed and we were told that we are direct descendants of Prophet Muhammad. I have heard that because of this fact they cannot accept any Zakah nor can one give them any zakah. Is this true? As some of my family members are poor, is it possible for me give my zakah to them inspite of the fact that they are Syeds?
Q.2. I am a housewife. Can I give my Zakah amount to my own brothers and sister? None of them is my dependent. My brothers want to do some business but they don’t have the necessary capital. My sister is married with two children but her husband’s income is insufficient for their needs. When I give my Zakah amount to anyone, is it compulsory to mention that what I am giving him/her is zakah money.
Shah Alam, Riyadh
A.1. It is true that the descendants of the Prophet through his daughter Fatimah do not take zakah, even when they are poor. But this stipulation is compensated for by the fact that they have a special access to funds that an Islamic state wins in its wars against the enemies, and from other state sources.
The question arises whether the same restriction applies in times like these when Muslim countries are weak and they have no funds from which to compensate the Prophet’s descendants. Sheikh Yussuf Al-Qaradawi, a leading contemporary scholar discusses this situation at length in his priceless book on Zakah. He concludes that it is not in line with Islamic justice that the descendants of the Prophet should be denied zakah funds in times like these when they are not looked after in any other way. They are not less entitled to help than other Muslims. Indeed, the restriction is not meant to impose hardship on them when legislation is in place to relieve the poverty of ordinary people. Hence, he concludes that it is permissible to give them from zakah and permissible for them to take it.
Besides, when you pay your zakah, you need not tell the person to whom you pay it that what you are giving him or her is zakah. To keep that information from him is better and recommended.
Having said that, I should add that not everyone who is given the title Syed is a direct descendent of the Prophet through his daughter Fatimah. To try to prove this descent could be laborious and hard. We should not be deterred by this title from giving zakah to those people with this title if they otherwise qualify to be beneficiaries of zakah.
A.2. Yes, it is permissible for you to give your zakah to your sister and your brothers who are in need of the money for their living, or to set up some means of earning an income. The only relatives who may not benefit by our zakah are those whom it is our duty to look after, such as our children or our parents.
