1. I am a woman who supports four children and an unemployed husband who has been unable to work for the last 17 years because of his health situation and the implant of a kidney. How should I pay the Zakah of Fitr in my case? Can I pay the Zakah of Fitr on the behalf of my husband? 2. I took a 10000 Dinar loan from a bank a year ago in order to cover study and life expenses, and the total amount that I have left from it is 5000 Dinar. Should I pay Zakah on this money? 3. A noble man authorized me to find eligible people to receive his Zakah every year. I allowed myself to take a small amount of money from this man’s Zakah money in order to buy medicine for my husband, and I did so without his knowledge so that I may save myself the embarrassment, as he knows nothing of my financial situation. Was what I did permissible and if not, can I repay the money in installments to those who deserve it because of the financial difficulties that I go through? 4. My last question is, am I allowed to sometimes take from the charity money of this generous man in order to buy medicine and cover other expenses related to my husband? Thank you and may Allaah keep you (beneficial to everyone).

In the name of Allaah, the Benevolent, the Merciful. All praise is due to Allaah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allaah, his family, companions, and those loyal to him. You are not obligated to support your husband financially, but what you are doing is surely considered from the good manners and good spousal relationship. So if you complete your good deed and pay on the behalf of your husband his Zakah of Fitr and the expiation for the days he could not fast because of his health problems, that is indeed even more good and virtuous, and we encourage you to do that and hope you are not prevented from the reward, by the permission of Allaah. Also, you are not obligated to pay Zakah on the remainder of the loan that you took to spend on your family and husband, because Zakah is paid on the money that one owns, and not on the money in your possession that actually belongs to others, such as a loan. In fact, you are eligible to receive the Zakah in order to pay off your debt, and we ask Allaah to replace your difficulty with ease. As for the money that you have taken from the Zakah fund that you were handed to spend on people eligible to receive Zakah, then that is fine so long you are eligible for it. However, you should have notified the man of that, so that you may guard yourself from being wrongfully accused. This applies on your last question and we ask Allaah to grant you more piety and righteousness, to support you with patience and to open wide the gates of goodness for you, as He is the Most Capable of that. And Allaah, the Most High, knows best.