Question:
Can we give zakat to someone who is ill and wants to pay for his operation, but he himself possesses wealth to the value of the nisab?
Answer:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
A person who has nisab amount of wealth can not receive zakat. Therefore, you can not give zakat to him. However, if he pays for his operation by taking qard hasan (loan) from others and the money he borrowed from others is so much that if he pays them back then he does not remain owner of nisab, then in this case he can receive zakat.
(Nisab is the minimum amount of wealth that a Muslim must have before being obliged to give zakaat)
Allah Knows Best
Syed Hussain Ibn Imamuddidn
22 Muharram 1445 / 9 August 2023
References
قوله تعالى: اِنَّمَا الصَّدَقٰتُ لِلۡفُقَرَآءِ وَالۡمَسٰكِيۡنِ وَالۡعٰمِلِيۡنَ عَلَيۡهَا وَالۡمُؤَلَّـفَةِ قُلُوۡبُهُمۡ وَفِى الرِّقَابِ وَالۡغٰرِمِيۡنَ وَفِىۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِ وَابۡنِ السَّبِيۡلِؕ فَرِيۡضَةً مِّنَ اللّٰهِؕ وَاللّٰهُ عَلِيۡمٌ حَكِيۡمٌ. سورة التوبة ٦٠
وفي الفتاوى الهندية: ومنها الغارم وهو من لزمه دين ولا يملك نصابا فاضلا عن دينه أو كان له مال على الناس لا يمكنه أخذه كذا في التبيين والدفع إلى من عليه الدين أولى من الدفع إلى الفقير۔