Fatwa No : 77631
Ruling on taking Zakat for one who owns a house

Ruling on taking Zakat for one who owns a house

Assalamu Alaikum, wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu!
What do the learned muftis say about this issue? A person has five sons, the father has spent one million rupees on the illness of one of his sons, and the father did not explicitly state while spending, whether it was a loan or to be returned. Now that the father has passed away, the remaining four sons are demanding from their brother the money that the father had spent on his illness. Is the demand of these four sons are correct? Please guide me in the light of Sharia. Jazakallahu Khaira
Note: The questioner also said that the father had told this son that I do not demand this money from you, just as I spend on these other sons, I have the right to spend it on you as well.

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

If the statement of the questioner is correct and based on facts that, the deceased father of the said son spent the said amount on his treatment without any explicit mention of debt etc, then this was a generosity and benevolence from the deceased father to his son. Therefore, after the death of the father, it is not lawful in Sharia for the other brothers of the said son to demand the return of the said amount from their brother, which is must be avoided.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

کمافی العقود الدرية في تنقيح الفتاوى الحامدية: المتبرع لا يرجع بما تبرع به على غيره كما لو قضى دين غيره بغير أمره. اهـ.(ج2 ص226 کتاب المداینات ط: دارالمعرفۃ)۔
وفیھا أیضاً: (سئل) فيما إذا قضى زيد دين عمرو لدائنه بدون إذن عمرو ويريد الرجوع على عمرو بما قضاه عنه بدون إذنه فهل ليس له ذلك؟
(الجواب) : من قضى دين غيره بغير أمره لا يكون له حق الرجوع عليه عمادية من الفصل 28 ومنها في أحكام السفل والعلو: المتبرع لا يرجع على غيره كما لو قضى دين غيره بغير أمره اهـ.(ج21 ص287/288 کتاب الکفالۃ ط: دارالمعرفۃ)۔