Many questions about Zakah
21-6-2009 | IslamWeb
Question:
Asalaamu Aleikum. Please explain the opinion regarding zakat of married people. Below are 4 questions: (1) If the husband is providing for the family and the wife does not have an income, does the husband pay zakat on behalf of them both and does the wife receive any reward from Allah SWT or not. (2) If the wife has some small savings in her name, should she give zakat, if she does not have other/regular income? (3) If you want to pay zakat in another (more impoverished) country, where you feel it would do more good, can you ask someone you know/family member there to go to the mosque and pay it on your behalf ...? Does this count as your zakat, even if not in person, as it is your "intention" to give zakat at this time, in this place, for this purpose.(4) can you give zakat only to a charity or mosque for distribution anonymously or is it permitted to give directly to a family/families you know who are in such desperate need...? May Allah reward you for your assistance and kindness in helping others further their knowledge of Islam.
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
We will summarize the answer to your questions in the following points:
1- It is an obligation to pay Zakah on money if it reaches the Nisaab (the minimum amount liable for Zakah) and a whole lunar year elapses on it. If this money is owned by the husband, he is obliged to pay Zakah on it, as regards the wife, if she has no money, she is not obliged to pay Zakah in principle. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 93584.
2- If the savings which a woman has reach the Nisaab by itself or with what is added to it of what she owns of other money or tradable items, and a whole lunar year elapses on it, then it is an obligation on her to pay Zakah on this money. The fact that she does not have another constant source of income does not wave her from the obligation of paying the Zakah on that money.
3- It is permissible to transfer the Zakah money to another country if there is a preponderant need that requires this provided that one surely knows or predominantly thinks that in the country where the Zakah must be paid there is no one who needs it and does not find what covers his need from the money of Zakah.
4- It is permissible for a Muslim to pay off his Zakah by himself or to deputize another trustworthy person to distribute it, whether this is an individual or a charitable institution or else, and this is sufficient for him. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 88677.
Allaah Knows best.