Covering mother's medical expenses with zakah money

I am a 70-year-old person who is retired and has no means of income besides some investments in Islamic bonds. I pay zakah to deserving persons every year, praise be to Allaah. My 100-year-old mother fell seriously sick and had a paralysis stroke and is presently in a coma. She is attended to by two female nurses [12 hour duty each] and one physiotherapist at my home and has prescribed medications. I am aware that I am not allowed to give zakah money to my parents. However, the costs incurred by me on her treatment, nursing, and physiotherapy is beyond my reach as I have a very limited pension-type income.Can I pay her treatment, nursing and physiotherapy expenses from my zakah fund? May Allaah reward you for your prompt guidance and response in advance. Best Regards. Dr. Saleem Siddiqi.

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, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger. 

The basic principle is that it is impermissible for the son to pay his zakah to his parents because he is obliged to provide for them if they are in need. This obligation is not waived by paying his zakah to them. Ibn Al-Munthir wrote, “The scholars unanimously agreed that it is not permissible to give zakah to parents in cases when the giver is obliged to spend on them, because giving zakah to them will mean that they no longer need him to spend on them and that he is spared that duty; so he benefits from it, and it is as if he is giving it to himself (i.e. taking the zakah funds himself), which is impermissible. The is the same as using his zakah to pay off his own debt.”

The wisdom behind the prohibition in this regard is that the child is legislatively obliged to support his poor parents; he cannot pay them the zakah in this case, and this does not waive the obligation of providing for them. However, if the child is financially unable to provide for his poor parents, then it is allowable for him to pay his zakah to his parents in such case.

Sahykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah wrote, “It is permissible to give zakah to one's parents or children if they are poor and he is financially unable to spend on them. This is one of the two scholarly views reported on the authority of Imaam Ahmad. This view is supported with the general religious texts in this regard...” He also said, “If they are poor and he is financially unable to provide for them, then the strongest scholarly view in this regard is that it is allowable for him to pay his zakah to them in this case because they are entitled to receive the zakah and the impediment is missing (i.e. payment of the obligatory maintenance to the poor parents). In this case, it is obligatory to act upon the present reason in the absence of a serious impediment...”

Hence, if you are unable to pay the treatment expenses of your mother, then there is no harm in paying them from your zakah. We implore Allaah to bless your mother with recovery and sound health and bestow the blessing of a good final stage of life, upon faith and good deeds, upon us and her.

Allaah knows best.