The eight recipients of zakat (9:60)

The text: Surah At-Tawba (9), verse 60 ۞ إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ ۖ فَرِيضَةً مِنَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ ﴿٦٠﴾

Meaning: "The (obligatory) charities are only for the poor, the needy, those who work on them, those whose hearts are to be won over, the freeing of slaves, those in debt, in the path of Allah, and for the traveller: an obligation from Allah, and Allah is Knowing and Wise." The word "innamaa" (only) limits zakaat to these eight categories: it cannot be given elsewhere, even for a good cause.

Arabic text: Tanzil Quran Text (Simple, version 1.0.2), © 2008-2010 Tanzil.net, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence, reproduced without any change (http://tanzil.net). Each verse is on its own line, followed by its number; the basmala, which the Tanzil file places at the start of the first verse, is written on its own line.

The eight categories, one by one 1. The poor (al-fuqaraa') and 2. the needy (al-masaakiin). The schools define them slightly differently: for the Shafi'is and Hanbalis, the poor person does not have even half of what he needs, the needy has more than half but not enough; for the Hanafis, it is the reverse, or the poor person is one who owns less than the nisab [À VÉRIFIER : définitions]. In Canada: a family whose income does not cover rent, food and basic needs; a single person without work; a student without resources. Need is judged according to the local cost of living. 3. Those who work on it (al-'aamiluuna 'alayhaa): the people in charge of collecting and distributing zakaat, even if they are not poor. Whether an association or centre may take a share for its administrative costs is discussed; many accept it within a reasonable limit (often up to one eighth), others reject it for organisations not mandated by an authority [À VÉRIFIER : avis du centre et pratique]. 4. Those whose hearts are to be won over (al-mu'allafa quluubuhum): originally, people whose hearts one wished to win to Islam or whose faith one wished to strengthen. Many contemporary scholars include in it help for new Muslims who need support [À VÉRIFIER : maintien de cette catégorie selon les écoles]. 5. The freeing of slaves (fii r-riqaab): freeing people reduced to slavery. Some contemporaries attach to it the ransoming of Muslim prisoners unjustly detained [À VÉRIFIER]. 6. Those in debt (al-ghaarimuun): a person who took on a debt for a lawful need and cannot repay it, or who went into debt to reconcile people. One may pay their creditor directly. The case of an interest-bearing debt (for example a credit card) is discussed: many allow paying the principal to get the person out of debt [À VÉRIFIER]. 7. In the path of Allah (fii sabiili llaah): for the majority of early scholars, this means those who fight in a legitimate army without pay. Contemporary scholars extend it to defending Islam through knowledge, teaching and da'wa; others reject this extension, so as not to turn zakaat into a fund for every good work [À VÉRIFIER : présentation des avis]. 8. The traveller (ibn as-sabiil): a person far from home, out of money, even if rich in his own country. Possible examples: a stranded traveller, some refugees or asylum seekers who arrive with nothing [À VÉRIFIER].

Those who cannot receive your zakaat • The rich and people able to earn a living: "zakaat is permitted neither for a rich person, nor for a strong man able to work" (Abu Daawuud 1633) [À VÉRIFIER : numéro et degré]. • Your ascendants (parents, grandparents) and descendants (children, grandchildren): you already owe them maintenance; one helps them with one's ordinary money. • Your wife: the husband owes her maintenance. The reverse is discussed: a wife may, according to many scholars, give her zakaat to her poor husband, as shown by the account of Zaynab, wife of Ibn Mas'uud (Bukhari 1466, Muslim 1000) [À VÉRIFIER : portée du récit]. • Other relatives (brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins) may receive it if they are in need and you are not obliged to support them; it is even better: charity to a relative is "a charity and a tie of kinship" (At-Tirmidhi 658, An-Nasaa'i 2582) [À VÉRIFIER : numéros]. • The family of the Prophet ﷺ (Banu Haashim), according to the majority (Muslim 1072) [À VÉRIFIER : numéro]. • Non-Muslims: for the great majority, the zakaat of wealth is reserved for Muslims ("taken from their rich and returned to their poor"); they may receive ṣadaqa without restriction. Some scholars allow giving to them under "hearts to be won over" [À VÉRIFIER]. • What is not a person: according to the majority, one does not build a mosque, school or hospital with zakaat, because zakaat requires the recipient to become its owner (at-tamliik); these works are funded by ṣadaqa and waqf [À VÉRIFIER : avis contemporains élargis].

Practical questions in Canada • Must one divide among the eight categories? For the majority (Hanafis, Malikis, Hanbalis), one may give everything to a single category, even to a single person; for the Shafi'is, one must divide among the categories present [À VÉRIFIER]. • Give locally or abroad? The principle is to give to the poor of the place where one lives; most allow sending elsewhere for a greater need (famine, war) or for relatives in need [À VÉRIFIER : avis du centre]. • Giving to an organisation: check that it separates zakaat from other donations, that it distributes it to the categories of verse 9:60, and that it is accountable. In Canada, the list of registered charities is public (Canada Revenue Agency). • Tax receipts: a registered charity may issue a receipt for a donation. Many scholars consider that this does not affect the validity of zakaat, others advise caution [À VÉRIFIER : avis du centre]. • Checking need: one relies on reasonable appearances. If one gives in good faith to someone who appeared poor and was not, the zakaat is valid according to many scholars [À VÉRIFIER]. • Dignity: many poor people do not ask (2:273). Look for them, and give discreetly.

The text: Surah Al-Baqara (2), verse 273 لِلْفُقَرَاءِ الَّذِينَ أُحْصِرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ ضَرْبًا فِي الْأَرْضِ يَحْسَبُهُمُ الْجَاهِلُ أَغْنِيَاءَ مِنَ التَّعَفُّفِ تَعْرِفُهُمْ بِسِيمَاهُمْ لَا يَسْأَلُونَ النَّاسَ إِلْحَافًا ۗ وَمَا تُنْفِقُوا مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٢٧٣﴾

Meaning: "[Give] to the poor who are held back in the path of Allah, who cannot travel in the land; the ignorant think them rich because they refrain from asking. You recognise them by their marks; they do not ask people insistently. And whatever good you spend, Allah knows it perfectly." The verse describes the poor most deserving of help: those who do not ask.

Arabic text: Tanzil Quran Text (Simple, version 1.0.2), © 2008-2010 Tanzil.net, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence, reproduced without any change (http://tanzil.net). Each verse is on its own line, followed by its number; the basmala, which the Tanzil file places at the start of the first verse, is written on its own line.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Allah did not leave it to people to decide where zakaat goes: He set it Himself, in a verse that begins with "only". This is a protection: zakaat cannot be diverted to prestige projects, nor to those who do not need it. It goes first to people, and makes them owners of what they receive. The eight categories cover three needs: material need (the poor, the needy, debtors, travellers), freedom and dignity (slaves, prisoners), and service to the community (those who manage it, those whose hearts are won, the path of Allah). Several categories have received broader or stricter readings: this is where the imam's opinion matters. Finally, verse 2:273 recalls that the most deserving are not always the most visible. The giver discreetly looks for those who do not ask.

Lessons to draw from it • Before giving, ask: which category does this person belong to? • Start with relatives in need whom one is not obliged to support. • Choose an organisation that separates zakaat from other donations and is accountable. • Do not fund a building with zakaat: use ṣadaqa or waqf for that. • Look for the discreet poor: students, newly arrived families, elderly people living alone.

Key points to remember • 9:60: the poor, the needy, collectors, hearts to be won, slaves, debtors, path of Allah, traveller. • "Innamaa": zakaat is reserved for these eight categories. • Do not receive your zakaat: the rich, your parents and children, your wife. • Relatives in need: a charity and a tie of kinship. • No building with zakaat according to the majority (tamliik) [À VÉRIFIER].

The main message Allah Himself set the recipients of zakaat: give it to the people He named, starting with those closest to you and the most discreet.