Those eligible to receive Zakat are mentioned in the following verse of the Holy Qur’an:
Indeed, [prescribed] charitable offerings are only [to be given] to the poor and the indigent, and to those who work on [administering] it, and to those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to [free] those in bondage, and to the debt-ridden, and for the cause of God, and to the wayfarer. [This is] an obligation from God. And God is all-knowing, all-wise. [Al-Tawbah, 9:60
- 1. The poor (al-fuqarâ’), meaning low-income or indigent
- 2. The needy (al-masâkîn), meaning someone who is in difficulty
- 3. Zakat administrators
- 4. Those whose hearts are to be reconciled, meaning new Muslims and friends of the Muslim community
- 5. Those in bondage (slaves and captives)
- 6. The debt-ridden
- 7. In the cause of God
- 8. The wayfarer, meaning those who are stranded or traveling with few resources
and Allah knows best
