Question Summary:
To whom can Zakah be given?

Question Detail:

 
1) Can my wife give her zakah on jewelry to me when I am not working for 7 or 8 months and have debts to pay and there is not any way of earnings even a small amount? We are living in Riyadh, KSA with my parents. 
2) Can my wife give her zakah to my father as he is also under debts. But there is some land and a house and shops are let on rent all are on his (my father) and 3 other brothers names combinely.
3) Can my other family members give me zakah? like my mother?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salamu  ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullahi wa-barakatuh.
 
1) According to the Hanafi school of thought, a woman cannot give Zakah to her husband.¹
2) A wife may give her Zakah to her father in law if he is a legitimate recipient of zakah. Therefore, consideration must be taken that after deducting his debts, he does not own surplus wealth equivalent to or more than the Nisaab amount. In principle, zakat is not payable on property given on rent. However zakat will be payable on the income if one reaches the Nisaab.
If the father in law’s share of income from the rental of the property is equivalent to or more than the amount of Nisaab and he is free from debts as explained above, then he is regarded as a wealthy person. As such he cannot receive zakah.
3) It is not permissible to give zakah to ones parents(and grandparents) and children(and grandchildren).²It may be given to ones siblings and any other relative.
We make dua Allah Ta’ala grant you relief from your financial difficulties. Ameen
The following duas are effective for reliving one’s self from financial difficulties.
( اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِني بِحَلاَلِكَ عَنْ حَرَامِكَ ، وَأغْنِنِي بِفَضْلِكَ عَمَّنْ سِواكَ ) . (رواه الترمذي ص560 ج5 دار إحياء التراث العربي )
"O Allah, save me from haraam and make the halaal sufficient and by your boon/favour make me independent from others" 
(للَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ غَلَبَةِ الدَّيْنِ وَقَهْرِ الرِّجَالِ). (رواه أبو داود ص569 ج1 دار الكتاب العربي)
"O Allah I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, I seek refuge in You from hopelessness and laziness, I seek refuge in You from miserliness and cowardice and I seek refuge in You from overwhelming debt and from the force of men".
 
 
.و لا يدفع إلى إمرأته للإشتراك في المنافع (الفتاوى الهندية ص207 ج1 العلمية) ¹
ولا يجوز دفع الرجل الزكاة إلى زوجته بالإجماع (بدائع الصنائع ص481 ج3).
²و لا يدفع المزكي زكاته إلى ابيه و جده و إن علا و لا إلى ولده و ولد ولده و إن سفل (الهداية ص 591ج1 العناية) العلمية))
(وَعَلَى هذا يَخْرُجُ الدَّفْعُ إلَى الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَإِنْ عَلَوَا وَالْمَوْلُودِينَ وَإِنْ سَفَلُوا لِأَنَّ أَحَدَهُمَا يَنْتَفِعُ بِمَالِ الْآخَرِ وَلَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَدْفَعَ الرَّجُلُ الزَّكَاةَ إلَى زَوْجَتِهِ بِالْإِجْمَاعِ(بدائع الصنائع ص481 ج3).
 
And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best.
 
Arshad Ali
Student, Darul Iftaa
Trinidad
 
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai