Thursday | 28 March 2024 | 17 Ramadhan 1445

Fatwa Answer

Question ID: 1266 Category: Zakah
Zakat

My son is in student loan debt of $480,000 with interest mounting every day. Can I pay my zakat to help him pay off his loan interest as I have no other money other than zakat money to pay her interest/ debt loan

بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم

الجواب واللہ المعین

It is not right for a father to give Zakat to his son and giving it to him does not discharge him of the responsibility of paying Zakat, However, for the sake of convenience in such cases, the scholars have come up with the idea that the person eligible to pay zakat, pays it to a deserving person and asks him to pay that amount to his son for the sake of Allah, then that trick is permissible, and Zakat will be paid to his son.

In addition, if the wife of the son is entitled to Zakat, then Zakat can be given to her and thus the need can be met.

فقط واللہ اعلم بالصواب