Under Islamic Shariah, poor and needy relatives are among those entitled to receive zakat. If one’s own brothers or sisters are eligible—that is, they do not own wealth equal to the nisab threshold and live below the poverty line—giving them zakat is not only permissible but brings double reward: one for maintaining family ties and another for fulfilling the zakat obligation.
The condition is that the brother or sister must genuinely be in need and must not be under your direct or legal maintenance. Zakat cannot be given to a dependent brother or sister because supporting them is already your responsibility. The guidance on giving zakat to siblings and close relatives is explained below in light of the Quran and hadith.
The Quran specifically identifies eight categories of people who may receive zakat, with special emphasis on prioritising poor relatives. Allah says in verse 60 of Surah At-Tawbah: “Charity is only for the poor, the needy, those employed to administer it, those whose hearts are to be reconciled, for freeing captives, those in debt, in the cause of Allah and for travellers in need—a duty imposed by Allah.”
The “poor” and “needy” categories in this verse include impoverished blood relatives, including one’s brothers, sisters and other close relatives.
Hadith promises double reward for giving zakat or charity to close relatives rather than to an unrelated poor person, because the act combines fulfilling the zakat duty with maintaining kinship. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “When charity is given to an ordinary poor person, it is one act of charity; when it is given to a relative, it is two acts—charity and maintaining family ties.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi: 658; Sunan al-Nasa’i: 2581)
Under the basic principles of Islamic Shariah, zakat cannot be given to those whom you are legally or religiously obliged to support, such as your wife, children, parents, grandparents and grandchildren. Meeting their basic needs is your regular responsibility.
But if brothers or sisters are not your direct dependants and live independently while genuinely in need, giving them zakat is fully permissible and brings greater reward. Many jurists and scholars even say that if one’s siblings genuinely qualify for zakat, giving it to them can be preferable to giving it to another poor person.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report