Who can receive Zakat?
Zakat may only be given to eight categories of people named in the Qur'an. Here is who qualifies, who does not, and how to be sure your Zakat reaches the right hands.
Unlike voluntary charity, Zakat is not open-ended. The Qur'an fixes exactly who may receive it: “Zakat is only for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer it, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free those in bondage, and for those in debt, and in the cause of Allah, and for the stranded traveller” (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:60). Giving Zakat to someone outside these categories does not discharge the obligation.
The eight eligible categories
Al-Fuqarā — the poor
People who have little or no wealth and income, and cannot meet even their most basic needs. This is the most common recipient of Zakat.
Al-Masākīn — the needy
People whose income exists but falls short of their essential needs. Their hardship may be less visible than the poor, but they still cannot make ends meet.
Al-‘Āmilīn ‘alayhā — those employed to administer Zakat
Those appointed to collect, record, and distribute Zakat. They may be paid from Zakat for this work even if they are not themselves poor.
Al-Mu’allafah qulūbuhum — those whose hearts are to be reconciled
New Muslims or those inclined toward Islam whose faith may be strengthened, or whose harm may be averted, through kindness and support.
Fir-Riqāb — freeing those in bondage
Historically the freeing of slaves; today understood to include freeing people from unjust captivity or bonded servitude.
Al-Ghārimūn — those in debt
People burdened by lawful debt they cannot repay — for example from a medical emergency, a failed livelihood, or family obligations. Zakat can clear or ease such debt.
Fī Sabīlillāh — in the cause of Allah
Efforts undertaken for the sake of Allah. Scholars differ on its exact scope, but it is applied to striving and works that serve the faith and community.
Ibn as-Sabīl — the stranded traveller
A traveller who has run out of means away from home may receive Zakat to reach their destination, even if they are wealthy in their own country.
Who cannot receive your Zakat
- The wealthy — anyone who possesses the Nisab in surplus wealth is not eligible to receive Zakat (except Zakat administrators and, in some cases, the stranded traveller).
- Your direct ascendants and descendants — parents, grandparents, children and grandchildren — since you are already responsible for supporting them.
- A husband or wife, as spouses have mutual maintenance obligations (though some scholars permit a wife to give Zakat to a needy husband).
- The family of the Prophet ﷺ (Banū Hāshim), according to the majority, out of the honour due to them.
- Building or general expenses where the Zakat does not become the full possession of an eligible recipient (this is a point of scholarly discussion).
Rulings on some points differ between schools of thought. If in doubt, consult a scholar you trust — and give through an organisation that verifies eligibility for you, like Imdaad Foundation.
Questions & Answers
Zakat eligibility questions
- Can I give Zakat to my own family?
- You cannot give Zakat to those you are already obliged to support — your parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, or spouse. You may, however, give Zakat to other needy relatives such as siblings, aunts, uncles, or cousins, and doing so carries the double reward of charity and maintaining family ties.
- Can Zakat be given to non-Muslims?
- The majority of scholars hold that Zakat is distributed among the eight categories from within the Muslim community. Voluntary charity (Sadaqah), by contrast, may be given to anyone in need regardless of faith.
- Does the recipient need to be told the money is Zakat?
- No. It is not necessary to tell the recipient that what they are receiving is Zakat. What matters is that the recipient genuinely qualifies under one of the eight categories.
- How does Imdaad make sure recipients qualify?
- Every applicant is assessed on the ground by our committee in Kashmir — income, dependants, debt, and need — before any Zakat is disbursed, so that your Zakat reaches only those who genuinely fall within the eight categories.
Give your Zakat to verified recipients
We assess every case on the ground so your Zakat reaches only those who genuinely qualify.