Recipients of Zakah
(Intending) in the heart, (to pay Zakah is obligatory in regards to all types of Zakah, and suffices if done upon setting the amount to be paid as Zakah aside.) like for one to intend that such amount/portion is the obligatory Zakah due on his wealth, or the obligatory Zakah due on his wealth, or to intend that it is the Zakah due on behalf of oneself. “Setting aside” the amount means to separate the amount which one intends to pay as Zakah from the rest of his wealth.
(Zakah must be paid to the people from the eight categories of deserving Muslims) which Allah mentioned in the Qur’an; (who are present in the town in which the wealth is present. They are:)
1. (The poor, (al-fuqara’);) the poor person is he who no one who is obligated to support, and he does not have and cannot earn except less than half of his basic needs, like the one whose basic needs are ten, but does not attain except four.
2. (The needy who earn half or more, but not all of their basic needs (al-masakin);) the needy person is the one who has what fulfills a portion of his needs, but without such a portion sustaining him in a manner suitable to his state, like the one who needs ten, but does not have and cannot earn except eight.
3. (The Zakah workers, who were assigned by the Caliph (al-^amiluna ^alayha);) the Zakah workers are those whom the Ruler of the Muslims employed to aid him in collecting the money of Zakah from the people of wealth and in distributing it to those who deserve it, and the like, and did not specify a salary for them from the Muslim Treasury.
4. (The new converts to Islam whose hearts are to be reconciled (al-mu’allafatu qulubuhum);) They are of different categories, among them are those who were blasphemers then converted to Islam and are not accustomed with Muslims yet. Such people are given from the money of Zakah so as to strengthen their bond within Islam.
5. (The slaves-ar-riqab;) They are the correctly contracted slaves, i.e. those who negotiated with their owners in order to gain their freedom if they paid a certain amount of money. Such slaves are given from the money of Zakah in order to support them in gaining their freedom.
6. (The Borrowers-al-gharimun who are unable to pay their debts 😉 i.e. those who borrowed money from others, to be spent in a lawful way, then were unable to repay the debt at its time of maturity, or they borrowed money to be spent unlawfully, have repented since then, and are unable to repay the debt.
7. (Fi sabilillah-The volunteer warriors.) for combat, even if they were rich they are given what they need for battle, contrary to those who are on the payroll of the Registry of Soldiers registered as Muslim soldiers.
(This does not include any other charitable project.) Hence, is it not permissible to pay Zakah to build a hospital or a mosque or a school, while claiming that such an act is included under the category of “Fi sabilillah”, because it has been confirmed that what is meant by “Fi sabilillah” mentioned in the verse of the Quran is what was previously mentioned.
8. (The traveler-Ibn-us-sabil) or the one who wants to travel, (who does not have enough to enable him to reach his destination.) Such a traveler is given from the money of Zakah an amount which suffices for his travel, if his travel was permissible, even if it was for leisure.
(It is neither permissible nor valid to pay Zakah to other than these eight types of) deserving (people) whom Allah mentioned in the Quran. Furthermore, it is only paid to them if they are Muslim and not from the tribe of Bani Hashim or Bani AlMutalib. As for the people from those two tribes, it is not permissible for them to take from the Zakah, even if they were poor.