SHAFAQNA –
Question: Is it allowed to pay Zakat Fitrieh to a poor person who does not pray and commit sins openly?
The Grand Ayatollah Vahid: Based on obligatory caution (Ihtiate Wajeb), Payment of Zakat Fitrieh to someone who does not pray or commit great sins openly, is not allowed.
Question: Is it allowed to pay Zakat Fitrieh to someone who is not clear to be poor but claims to be poor?
The Grand Ayatollah Vahid: If we know that he has previously been poor and also has all the conditions of Zakat Fitrieh but we are in doubt about his poverty now,we can pay him the Zakat Fitrieh. But if we are not sure that he has previously been poor and we cannot be sure about his sayings, then based on obligatory caution, we cannot pay him the Zakat Fitrieh. If we know he has not been poor previously, we cannot pay him the Zakat Fitrieh unless we are sure from what he says, that he is really poor.