The 365 · Verses · Day 150 · Charity
Zakāh has eight categories. Not seven, not nine. Verify the recipient before giving.
Qur'an Quran 9:60
۞ إِنَّمَا ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتُ لِلْفُقَرَآءِ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينِ وَٱلْعَـٰمِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَٱلْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَٱلْغَـٰرِمِينَ وَفِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبْنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ ۖ فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
“Alms are meant only for the poor, the needy, those who administer them, those whose hearts need winning over, to free slaves and help those in debt, for God's cause, and for travellers in need. This is ordained by God; God is all knowing and wise. (Abdel Haleem)”
Svenska: Offergåvorna är avsedda enbart för de fattiga och de nödställda och för dem som har hand om insamlandet av dem och för att vinna hjärtan [för tron] och för att friköpa människor ur fångenskap och slaveri och [för att lätta] de skuldtyngdas [bördor] och för [kampen för] Guds sak och för vandringsmannen. (Knut Bernström)
The story
Ibn Kathīr: the verse was revealed in the context of some hypocrites' criticism of the Prophet's ﷺ zakāh-distribution. The verse responded by structurally fixing the categories, removing the discretion that had given rise to the criticism. The eight categories are exhaustive; zakāh cannot be given outside them.
In the language
Innamā (only/exclusively) is the restrictive particle: zakāh is restricted to these eight categories. Farīḍah (obligation) is the term for binding obligation, not voluntary act. The verse establishes both the categories and the legal status (obligation).
Why this verse
Q 9:60 specifies the eight legitimate categories of zakāh-recipients: (1) al-fuqarāʾ (the poor), (2) al-masākīn (the needy), (3) al-ʿāmilīn ʿalayhā (zakāh administrators), (4) al-muʾallafat qulūbuhum (those whose hearts are to be reconciled to Islam), (5) fī ar-riqāb (freeing those in bondage), (6) al-ghārimīn (debtors), (7) fī sabīli-llāh (in Allah's path), (8) ibn as-sabīl (the wayfarer). The verse closes: this is farīḍah (an obligation) from Allah.
Bring it into today
When calculating and distributing zakāh, ensure the recipient falls within the eight named categories. Modern zakāh-organizations operate within these categories; verify their categorization before donating. Personal zakāh-distribution: maintain awareness of the categories.
A reflection to carry
Q 9:60 fixes the eight legitimate categories of zakāh. The verse is the structural Quranic charter of the zakāh-economy: who may receive, on what basis, with what status (obligation, not optional).
Read the longer reflection
The classical scholars (Ibn Kathīr, al-Qurṭubī) wrote at length on each of the eight categories, defining their boundaries. Modern scholars have applied the categories to contemporary contexts: fī sabīli-llāh includes daʿwah and Islamic education; al-muʾallafat qulūbuhum applies to new Muslims and those approaching Islam; al-ghārimīn applies to those in debt for legitimate reasons. The structural framework remains the Quranic eight; the application requires fiqh-knowledge.
Sources: Ibn Kathir. The Qur'an and its translation are verified; the scholarship is retold faithfully in our own words and credited to its sources, never reproduced verbatim.
A verse, a healing, and a Sunnah, every morning.
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