format_quote Originally Posted by
sonny
Thank you for your responses. I am so confused by zakat . It worries me because it's mandatory and i keep giving them to relatives (uncles, aunts, older cousins). Relatives which shows from the look of it are not rich and always beg for help to me. So i just don't know if it's because i live oversees or if they are truthful. So i gave them and consider it my Zakat for the year.
It is very good that you spend money on your relatives and keep ties of kinship. According to a hadith this increases one's wealth and lifespan.
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:
"Learn enough about your lineage to facilitate keeping your ties of kinship. For indeed keeping the ties of kinship encourages affection among the relatives, increases the wealth, and increases the lifespan."
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عِيسَى الثَّقَفِيِّ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ، مَوْلَى الْمُنْبَعِثِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " تَعَلَّمُوا مِنْ أَنْسَابِكُمْ مَا تَصِلُونَ بِهِ أَرْحَامَكُمْ فَإِنَّ صِلَةَ الرَّحِمِ مَحَبَّةٌ فِي الأَهْلِ مَثْرَاةٌ فِي الْمَالِ مَنْسَأَةٌ فِي الأَثَرِ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ . وَمَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ " مَنْسَأَةٌ فِي الأَثَرِ " . يَعْنِي زِيَادَةً فِي الْعُمُرِ .
Grade:
Hasan (Darussalam)
Reference: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1979
In-book reference: Book 27, Hadith 85
English translation: Vol. 4, Book 1, Hadith 1979
https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi/27/85
My only concern is are these relatives eligible for Zakat - just make sure you verify this or simply ask them. If they say they are eligible for Zakat and someone from your family confirms this then you should be fine.
You should also know who in your relatives can take your Zakat and who can't. Zakat can be given to sisters, brothers, uncles, cousins, aunts, sons-in-law, mothers-in-law, fathers-in-law, brothers-in-law, daughters-in-law, and stepchildren, on condition that they are poor & eligible for Zakat. Zakat is NOT given to parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, wives, and disbelievers. If you know any of your close relatives who are pious & eligible for Zakat, then it brings much more reward to give zakat to them than to give it to anyone else. If you do not have a pious relative, you should prefer other pious Muslims.
I hope you find this helpful.
Ma'aSalaam