Who may receive zakat
The seven categories entitled to zakat, who may never receive it, and the preferred order for choosing who to give it to.
There are seven kinds of people who are allowed to receive zakat.
| Category | Who this is |
|---|---|
| 1. Fakir (poor person) | A person who has some wealth but not enough to reach the nisab, or whose wealth is not growing, or not enough for essential needs. |
| 2. Miskin (needy person) | A person who has nothing and cannot even afford one meal. |
| 3. Aamil (collector of zakat) | A person appointed by the Islamic ruler to collect zakat. |
| 4. Mukatab (a slave working to buy freedom) | A slave who has an agreed sum of money to pay for their own freedom. |
| 5. Qardhar (debtor) | A person in debt who cannot repay it without becoming impoverished. |
| 6. Fi Sabilillah (for the sake of Allah) | A person in the cause of Allah, such as jihad, who is unable to continue because of poverty. |
| 7. Musafir (traveller) | A traveller far from home who has no money for the journey, even though they have wealth at home. |
You can give your zakat to just one of these categories, or split it between several. If the amount is small, it is better to give it all to one person. If the amount is large, it is better not to give it all to just one person, unless that person is in debt or has many people depending on them.
The following seven categories are eligible to receive Zakah.
| Category | Who this is |
|---|---|
| 1. Fakir (poor person) | A person who has some wealth but not enough to reach the nisab, or whose wealth is not growing, or not enough for essential needs. |
| 2. Miskin (needy person) | A person who has nothing and cannot even afford one meal. |
| 3. Aamil (collector of zakat) | A person appointed by the Islamic ruler to collect zakat. |
| 4. Mukatab (a slave working to buy freedom) | A slave who has an agreed sum of money to pay for their own freedom. |
| 5. Qardhar (debtor) | A person in debt who cannot repay it without becoming impoverished. |
| 6. Fi Sabilillah (for the sake of Allah) | A person in the cause of Allah, such as jihad, who is unable to continue because of poverty. |
| 7. Musafir (traveller) | A traveller far from home who has no money for the journey, even though they have wealth at home. |
It is preferable to give Zakah to a scholar who is poor rather than to a lay person, and preferable to give it to a debtor in need over an ordinary poor person.
The giver of Zakah may distribute it among all seven categories or give it to only one. It is preferable to give it to one person when the total Zakah is below the nisab. If it equals or exceeds the nisab, it is disliked to give it to just one person, unless that person is a debtor or has many dependants, in which case it is not disliked.
1For Zakah to be valid, the recipient must be made the owner of the Zakah amount. Using Zakah funds for causes where no individual is made the owner (building or repairing mosques, bridges or water stations, fixing or cleaning roads, digging wells or canals, preparing and burying the deceased, or paying off a deceased person's debts) is not valid.
The preferred order for distributing zakah
- Relatives in need: siblings, their children, uncles and aunts.
- Neighbours.
- Fellow workers or people of the same profession.
- People from the same town or village.
- People with disabilities, the blind, and the handicapped who cannot earn, provided they are needy.
The following seven categories (aṣnāf) are eligible to receive Zakāh.
| Category | Who this is |
|---|---|
| 1. Fakir (poor person) | A person who has some wealth but not enough to reach the nisab, or whose wealth is not growing, or not enough for essential needs. |
| 2. Miskin (needy person) | A person who has nothing and cannot even afford one meal. |
| 3. Aamil (collector of zakat) | A person appointed by the Islamic ruler to collect zakat. |
| 4. Mukatab (a slave working to buy freedom) | A slave who has an agreed sum of money to pay for their own freedom. |
| 5. Qardhar (debtor) | A person in debt who cannot repay it without becoming impoverished. |
| 6. Fi Sabilillah (for the sake of Allah) | A person in the cause of Allah, such as jihad, who is unable to continue because of poverty. |
| 7. Musafir (traveller) | A traveller far from home who has no money for the journey, even though they have wealth at home. |
The payer may distribute Zakāh among all seven aṣnāf or restrict it to one. Where the total is below the niṣāb, giving it to a single recipient is preferable; where it equals or exceeds the niṣāb, restricting it to one person is makrūh unless that person is a debtor or has many dependants, in which case it is not makrūh.
1Tamlīk, vesting ownership of the Zakāh amount in the recipient, is a condition of validity. Zakāh is therefore not validly discharged by spending it on causes in which no individual is made owner: the building or repair of mosques, bridges or water stations, road repair or cleaning, digging wells or canals, the preparation and burial of the deceased, or the settlement of a deceased person's debts.
The preferred order for distributing zakāh
- Needy relatives: siblings, their children, paternal and maternal uncles and aunts.
- Neighbours.
- Fellow workers or people of the same profession.
- People of the same town or village.
- The disabled, the blind, and the incapacitated who cannot earn, provided they are in need.
This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 655 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Rulings of Zakat 9. Recipients of Zakat
(1)The following seven categories are eligible to receive Zakat:
1. Fakir (Poor person)
2. Miskin (Needy person)
3. Aamil (Collector of Zakat)
4. Mukatab (Slave working to buy freedom)
5. Qardhar (Debtor)
6. Fi Sabilillah (For the sake of Allah, e.g., for Jihad)
7. Musafir (Traveler)
Rulings of Zakat Explanation of Categories
Fakir [It is preferable to give Zakat to a scholar who is poor rather than to a lay person.]: A person who has some wealth but not enough to meet the Nisab or has wealth that is not growing or is not in use for essential needs.
Miskin: A person who has nothing and cannot afford even one meal.
Aamil: A person appointed by the Islamic ruler to collect Zakat.
Mukatab: A slave who has an agreed-upon sum of money to be paid for their freedom.
Qardhar [It is preferable to give Zakat to a debtor in need over a simple poor person.]: A person in debt who cannot repay it without becoming impoverished.
Fi Sabilillah: A person who is in the cause of Allah and is unable to continue due to poverty.
Musafir: A traveler who is away from home and does not have enough money for the journey, even if they have wealth at home.
(2)The person giving Zakat can choose to distribute the Zakat among all seven categories or give it to only one. However, it is preferable to give it to one person when the total Zakat is below the Nisab level. If the amount is equal to or above the Nisab, it is not recommended to give it to just one person unless that person is a debtor or has many dependents (in which case it is not considered disliked).
(3)At least one Fakir must receive Zakat, and it is preferred that this person does not need to beg on the day they receive it.
(4)Zakat funds must only be used for the specific purposes mentioned in Islamic law.
(5)For zakat to be valid, it is necessary that the recipient is made the owner of the zakat amount. Therefore, using zakat funds for purposes such as building or repairing mosques, bridges, water stations, or for fixing and cleaning roads, digging wells or canals, preparing and burying the deceased, or paying off the deceased’s debts (i.e., any cause where no individual is made the owner) is not valid.
(6)The following individuals cannot receive zakat, and giving zakat to them will not fulfill the obligation [It is forbidden to give Zakat to one's immediate family, but it is mandatory to provide for them, which is an obligation in Islam.]:
- Parents, grandparents, and ancestors.
- Children, grandchildren, and descendants [This is allowed for other relatives and extended family, even if born out of wedlock.].
- Spouses (husband cannot give Zakat to wife and vice versa).
- Wealthy individuals who possess the Nisab [This applies if the wealth exceeds their primary needs.] (also applies to their minor children; however, if adult children or spouse are poor, they can receive Zakat).
- Banu Hashim (descendants of Ali, Abbas, Ja'far, Aqil, or Harith bin Abdul Muttalib) [Banu Hashim (the descendants of the Prophet) are not given Zakat due to their honor and respect, so Muslims should assist them with good quality goods instead.].
- Non-Muslims.
(7) The preferred order for distributing Zakat is as follows:
1. Relatives in need (siblings, their children, uncles, aunts, etc.).
2. Neighbors.
3. Fellow workers or people of the same profession.
4. People from the same town or village.
5. People with disabilities [This is provided they are needy.], the blind, and the handicapped who cannot earn.
(8) Sending Zakat from one city to another is generally disliked unless the relatives in that city are in greater need than those in the donor's city.
(9) Zakat should be given in the same location where the wealth is. If the person lives in one city but the wealth is in another, the Zakat should be distributed where the wealth is located.
Terms on this page
Related
- The conditions for a valid payment of zakat What makes an act of giving actually count as zakat: who can pay it, the intention it needs, and who it must reach.
- The charity of Eid al-Fitr (Sadaqat al-Fitr, Zakat al-Fitr) Who must pay the charity of Eid al-Fitr (Sadaqat al-Fitr), when it becomes due, how much to give of each kind of food, and who may receive it.
- The ruling on zakat, and when it becomes obligatory Who zakat is obligatory on, what denying it means, and the eight conditions that must all be met before zakat is due.
- What zakat is, and why it matters The meaning of zakat, its place as the third pillar of Islam, and the warnings and rewards the Qur'an and hadith attach to it.