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Fatwa CenterPaying Zakah to poor relatives who pay Zakah themselves
Question
Assalamualikum. my question is i have poor relatives who pay zakah themselves for the little gold they have,but i want to know if i pay them sadaqah money without telling them is it allowed as they are poor. jazakallah
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
It is permissible for you to give charity to your relatives and you do not have to inform them that it is a charity. However, if it is Zakah (obligatoy charity), then there are two conditions that must be met for it to be permissible to be paid to them: the first is that they should be among the eight categories of people who are eligible for Zakah, and the second is that they should not be among the people whom you are obligated to spend on. So, if these two conditions are met, then it becomes permissible for you to pay Zakah to them. For more benefit on the eight categories of people who are eligible for Zakah, please refer to Fatwa 88368.
In this case, it is better to pay Zakah to them as it is a charity and keeping ties with kinship. Indeed, Salmaan Ibn ‘Aamir 
narrated that the Prophet said: “Giving charity to the poor is considered charity, and giving charity to a relative is two things: charity and keeping ties with kinship.” [Ahmad, At-Tirmithi, An-Nasaa’i, and Ibn Maajah]
On the other hand, you do not have to inform them that it is Zakah, and the fact that your relatives possess a Nisaab (minimum amount liable for Zakah) does not mean that they are rich or that it is not permissible to pay Zakah to them because the rich person who is prevented from receiving Zakah is only the one who owns what fulfills his needs and suffices him and this is the Fatwa we adopt here in Islamweb. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 120651.
Allaah Knows best.
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