Parents paying student loan or giving children zakat

Question

We listened to a short talk about student loans being haram and that the students can accept zakat. Now my question is do the parents have to pay their childrens loan of they can afford to? We have the money but that’s all we have. We rent, we don’t have anything other than some savings. Not alot but do have some.
Secondly can the children accept zakat from their parents? If u can pls reply as soon as possible
Jazakallah

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Answer

A student applying to university will be of a mature age (baligh). If they take a private loan from someone to pay off their tuition fees then they will be in debt. It would then be permissible for them to take zakat if they do not have any other non-essential assets to the value of that debt and the current zakat threshold (nisab). For example, a loan of £9000 was taken. The current zakat threshold is approximately £350. The combined total is £9350. If the student does not have personal assets to this value excluding their essentials such as clothing then they will be a valid recipient of zakat.

It is not obligatory upon parents to pay off their children’s loans. If their child is mature they are responsible for their own debts. If however, parents wished to help their child pay their loans off then this will be permissible.

Taking student loans via Student Finance England is not lawful.

Lastly, parents cannot pay zakat to their own children.

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (2/ 346)
ولا) إلى (من بينهما ولاد) ولو مملوكا لفقير (أو) بينهما  (زوجية) ولو مبانة وقالا تدفع هي لزوجها.

قوله: وإلى من بينهما ولاد) أي بينه وبين المدفوع إليه؛ لأن منافع الأملاك بينهم متصلة فلا يتحقق التمليك على الكمال هداية والولاد بالكسر مصدر ولدت المرأة ولادة وولادا مغرب أي أصله وإن علا كأبويه وأجداده وجداته من قبلهما وفرعه وإن سفل بفتح الفاء من باب طلب والضم خطأ؛ لأنه من السفالة وهي الخساسة مغرب كأولاد الأولاد وشمل الولاد بالنكاح والسفاح فلا يدفع إلى ولده من الزنا ولا من نفاه كما سيأتي

Answered by:
Ifta Research Fellow

Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel

Source:

https://fatwacentre.org/uncategorized/parents-paying-student-loan-or-giving-children-zakat/