When giving charity, whether the obligatory Zakat or voluntary sadaqah, Islam encourages prioritizing those in one's own family and community. Shaykh Ibn Baz clarified this based on the guidance from the Qur'an and Sunnah.

The general recipients of obligatory Zakat are outlined by Allah in the Qur'an. However, for both Zakat and voluntary charity, one's relatives who are in need have a greater right than strangers, provided they are not dependants whom one is already obligated to support (like one's own parents or children). Giving Zakat to a poor brother, sister, uncle, or cousin, for instance, is permissible and highly encouraged if they fall into the categories of the poor and needy.

For voluntary charity (sadaqah), giving to relatives is even more virtuous. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: "Charity given to the poor is charity, and charity given to a relative is two things: charity and upholding the ties of kinship." This indicates a double reward for the giver.

Therefore, a Muslim should first look to their own family. If they have poor relatives, such as siblings or uncles who are struggling financially, these relatives should be the first recipients of their charity. After fulfilling the needs of relatives, one should then extend their charity to other needy individuals in their local community, and then to the wider Muslim ummah. This hierarchy ensures that the foundations of the family and local community are strengthened, in accordance with Islamic principles of mutual care and responsibility.