Categories of Zakah Recipients: The 8 Eligible Groups

**Summary of answer**

There are 8 categories of Zakah recipients:

1. The poor
2. The needy
3. Those employed to collect or administer
4. To attract the hearts of those who have been inclined towards Islam
5. The slaves
6. Those who are in debt
7. For Allah's Cause
8. The wayfarers

**Full Answer**

Praise be to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah:

**Reference to Zakah recipients in the Quran**

There are eight categories on which zakah must be spent, which Allah has explained clearly. He states that this is a duty imposed by Allah and that it is based on knowledge and wisdom. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

"As-Sadaqat (here it means zakah) are only for the Fuqara (poor), and Al-Masakin (the poor) and those employed to collect (the funds); and to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam); and to free the captives; and for those in debt; and for Allah's Cause (i.e. for Mujahidun — those fighting in a just battle), and for the wayfarer (a traveller who is cut off from everything); a duty imposed by Allah. And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise." [al-Tawbah 9:60]

**Categories of Zakah recipients**

These eight are the categories who are entitled to zakah and to whom it must be paid.

**The first and second** are the fuqara and masakin (the poor and needy). They should be given zakah to meet their needs. The difference between the fuqara and masakin is that the fuqara are in greater need; one of them cannot find enough to suffice himself and his dependents for half a year. The masakin are better off than the fuqara, because they can find half of what will suffice them or more. These people should be given zakah because of their need.

**How to calculate the need of the poor and the needy**

The scholars said: They should be given what they need to suffice them and their families for one year, because when the year has passed, zakah will become due again. Just as the year is the unit of time by which zakah becomes due, so too the year should be the unit of time by which the poor and needy, who are entitled to zakah, should be given zakah. This is a good view, i.e., we should give the poor and needy person what will suffice him and his family for a full year, whether we give it in the form of food and clothing, or we give him money with which to buy what suits him, or we give him tools with which he can make things, if he is good at that, such as a tailor, carpenter or blacksmith and so on. What matters is that we give him what will suffice him and his family for one year.

**The third** is: those employed to collect or administer (the funds), i.e., those who are appointed by the authorities. This refers to those who are involved in the collection and distribution of zakah. They are the collectors who collect it from those who have to pay it, and the ones who divide it among those who are entitled to it, and those who record it, and so on.

**How much should zakah collectors be given?**

Those who are employed to administer the zakah deserve to be paid from it in return for their work, and they should be given according to their efforts.

Based on this, they should be given zakah commensurate with their work, whether they are rich or poor, because they are receiving zakah for their work, not because of their need.

**The fourth** is: "to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam)". These are people who may be given zakah in order to open their hearts towards Islam, either a kafir who we hope will become Muslim, or a Muslim to whom we give in order to strengthen his faith, or an evil man to whom we give zakah so as to ward off his evil from the Muslims.

**The fifth** category of those who are entitled to zakah is: slaves. The scholars explained this in three ways:
• A mukatib or slave who has entered into a contract of manumission to buy himself from his master
• A slave who may be bought with zakah funds and set free
• A Muslim prisoner who has been captured by the kuffar; the kuffar may be given zakah funds to ransom this prisoner

**The sixth** is: those who are in debt. The scholars divided debt into two categories: debts incurred to bring about reconciliation, and debts incurred because of need.

**The seventh** is: "for Allah's Cause". What is meant here is jihad for the sake of Allah and nothing else.

**The eighth** is: wayfarers, i.e., travellers who are cut off from everything and have no money. Such a traveller may be given enough zakah to enable him to reach his homeland, even if he is rich in his own country, because he is in need.

**Must zakah be given to each of the zakah recipients?**

The answer is that this is not obligatory, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to Mu'adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him), when he sent him to Yemen: "Teach them that Allah has enjoined on them charity (zakah) from their wealth, to be taken from their rich and given to their poor."

**Which of the zakah recipients should be given priority?**

Priority should be given where the need is greatest, because all of them are entitled, so whoever is in greater need should be given priority. Usually the ones who are in greatest need are the poor and needy, hence Allah started with them.

Reference: Majmu' Fatawa Ibn `Uthaymin (18/331-339).

And Allah knows best.