Can a woman give her zakat to her maternal grandmother?

Dear Brother / Sister,

One cannot give alms (zakat) to his wife, to his usul (father, grandfather, mother, grandmother, etc.) and to his furu’ (children and grandchildren) even if they are poor. He cannot give alms to his wife who is in iddah (waiting) period (When a woman is divorced or her husband dies, she must wait for a prescribed period of time before she can remarry.) either, because the benefit of this zakat given to her partially belongs to him. However, this benefit must be totally away from him.

According to Imam Azam, a woman cannot give her zakat to her husband who is poor either, because according to the tradition, there is a partnership of benefit between the two. According to the two Imams, a woman can give her zakat to her husband who is poor.

Questions on Islam