Can my rich father take zakaah and spend it on my brother so that he can complete his studies?
Question

                Is it permissible for my father who owns the minimum threshold (nisaab) at which zakaah becomes due (and who pays zakaah) to take zakaah from another person for his son’s university education only? I am studying in a government university, but my brother is studying in a private university which costs a great deal. Is it permissible for my father to take zakaah on the grounds that my brother is a seeker of knowledge (but my brother is not studying Islamic knowledge; rather he is specialising in accounting). The money that we pay zakaah on is money that we are saving to buy an apartment so that we do not have to deal with the riba-based banks.
Praise be to Allah.Firstly: 
The fuqaha’ 
	are unanimously agreed that the father is not obliged to spend on his adult 
	son if he is able to earn a living. For more information please see the 
	answer to question no. 13464 
Because 
	spending on an adult son who is able to earn a living is not obligatory for 
	the father, it is permissible for the son to take zakaah as much as will 
	suffice his needs, even if he is a student of non-religious knowledge (as 
	opposed to Islamic knowledge). For more information please see the answer to 
	question no. 95418. 
In this case 
	there is nothing wrong with delegating his father to take it on his behalf, 
	then give it to him to help him complete his studies. 
The criteria 
	for it being permissible to take zakaah is if the student of non-religious 
	knowledge is not able to combine work and study, or if combining them will 
	affect his ability to study. In that case there is nothing wrong with him 
	taking zakaah money as much as will suffice his needs. But if he is able to 
	combine them both without suffering any harm, then it is not permissible for 
	him to take zakaah money, because of the report narrated by Hishaam from his 
	father from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Adiyy who said: Two men told me that they came 
	to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) during the 
	Farewell Pilgrimage to ask him for charity. The Messenger of Allah 
	(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) looked them up and down and saw 
	that they were healthy young men. He said: If you wish I will give you some, 
	but there is no share of it for one who is independent of means or one who 
	is strong and able to earn a living.” Narrated by Imam Ahmad, 21985; Abu 
	Dawood, 1633; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) 
	in Saheeh Abi Dawood, no. 1443 
There is no 
	doubt that it is better and is preferable for his father to help him from 
	his own wealth or for him to strive to combine work and study as much as he 
	can, so as to avoid going against those scholars who said that this is not 
	allowed and so as to refrain from taking what is in people’s hands, because 
	the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The upper hand 
	(the one that gives) is better than the lower hand (the one that receives).” 
	Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1429; Muslim, 1715 
And he 
	(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said concerning zakaah wealth: 
	“It is the dregs of the people.” Narrated by Muslim, 1784 
It was 
	narrated from al-Miqdaam (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger 
	of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one ever eats 
	any food better than that which he earns with the work of his own hand. The 
	Prophet of Allah Dawood (peace be upon him) used to eat from that which he 
	earned with his own hand.
Narrated by 
	al-Bukhaari, 2072 
It was 
	narrated from Rifaa‘ah ibn Raafi‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) that the 
	Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked: Which earning 
	is best? He said: “(That which earned) by the work of a man’s own hand and 
	every honest transaction.” Narrated by Imam Ahmad, 16628; al-Bazzaar, 3731. 
	Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) in 
	as-Silsilah as-Saheehah, 2/106 
And Allah knows best.