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 have already issued Fataawa 87358 and 84019 clarifying that it is not permissible to pay Zakah to both parents or to one of them, however, if the aunt whom you mentioned in the question is among the people who are eligible for Zakah, then it is permissible to pay Zakah to her. Nonetheless, it is not permissible to take this as a trick in a way that she takes the Zakah in order to give it to the parents of the person who pays the Zakah.
Indeed, the matter is as you mentioned in the question, following tricks which lead to what is forbidden, is a practice of the Jews by which they deserved the Wrath of Allaah who turned them into monkeys.
The scholars stated that tricks are forbidden in Islamic Law, and that it is one of the acts of the Jews by which they deserved the Curse of Allaah.
Allaah Knows best.
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