Q: If a student has an unpaid education related loan, can his parents use their Zakah money to pay off the loan?
الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومنه الصدق والصواب
A: Firstly, for the valid discharge of Zakah one must make the recipient owner of the Zakah. One cannot simply pay off the recipient’s debt on his behalf without the recipient securing ownership of the zakat in a valid manner.
Secondly, parents cannot give Zakah to their children and vice versa.