Who can receive zakat, and who cannot?

Q: Who can receive zakat, and who cannot?

Zakat is given to the eight groups listed in verse 60 of Surah At-Tawbah; today these are chiefly the poor, the needy, those in debt and stranded travellers. Zakat is not given to parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren or your spouse, nor to the wealthy or to non-Muslims. It may be given to a poor brother or sister and other relatives — in fact, this brings greater reward. Zakat is given to real individuals as their own property; it cannot be spent on building mosques, schools or roads.

Short answer

Zakat is given to the eight groups listed in verse 60 of Surah At-Tawbah; today these are chiefly the poor, the needy, those in debt and stranded travellers. Zakat is not given to parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren or your spouse, nor to the wealthy or to non-Muslims. It may be given to a poor brother or sister and other relatives — in fact, this brings greater reward. Zakat is given to real individuals as their own property; it cannot be spent on building mosques, schools or roads.

The eight groups who receive zakat

The poor (fuqara') and the needy (masakin): those who do not own wealth amounting to the nisab beyond their basic needs.
Zakat collectors ('amilin): people appointed by the state to collect zakat.
Those whose hearts are to be reconciled to Islam (mu'allafat al-qulub): according to the majority view, this share has not been allocated since the time of Abu Bakr.
Slaves (riqab): slaves who have agreed with their master to buy their freedom.
Those in debt (gharimin): those who have debts and own no wealth amounting to the nisab apart from their debt.
Those in the cause of Allah (fi sabilillah): according to a fatwa of Türkiye's Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), a mujahid without means and a pilgrim who has become poor on the way.
Stranded travellers (ibn al-sabil): those left without money on a journey, even if they have wealth back home.

According to the Hanafis, all of one's zakat may be given to just one of these groups, or even to a single person.

Who cannot receive zakat

Ascendants (usul): mother, father, grandmother, grandfather.
Descendants (furu'): son, daughter and their children (grandchildren).
Spouse: according to the Hanafis, husband and wife cannot give zakat to each other.
The wealthy: a person who owns wealth amounting to the nisab beyond their basic needs, and a wealthy person's child who has not reached puberty.
Non-Muslims: this is the view of the majority, including the imams of the four schools; voluntary charity (sadaqah), however, may be given.
Descendants of the Prophet ﷺ.

Can it be given to a sibling, a relative or a charity?

Zakat may be given to a poor brother or sister, their children, and to paternal and maternal uncles and aunts and their children; giving priority to poor relatives brings greater reward, because it is both zakat and maintaining family ties (silat al-rahim).
It may be given to a poor son-in-law or daughter-in-law.
Charities may act as agents to pass zakat on to those entitled to it; however, zakat is not given to an organisation that will spend it on its general running costs, buildings or office expenses.
Zakat cannot be spent on building institutions such as mosques, schools, Qur'an courses or roads; zakat must be given to real individuals as their own property.

When is zakat given?

A Muslim who owns wealth amounting to the nisab beyond their basic needs and debts becomes liable to pay zakat once one lunar (Hijri) year has passed over that wealth. There is no need to wait for Ramadan; like a debt, zakat should be paid when it falls due. It may also be paid in advance before the year is complete, or in instalments during the year.

The nisab, by the measure Diyanet uses, is the value of 80.18 grams of (24-carat) gold. Its cash value changes with the price of gold, so the current figure can be worked out with the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation's zakat calculator (in Turkish).

If zakat is given to someone after checking and believing them to be poor, and it later turns out they were wealthy, the zakat is valid; if it was given without any checking, it must be given again.

Related verses

At-Tawbah 9:60 — Zakāh expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy…
At-Tawbah 9:103 — …from their wealth a charity by which you purify them…

Quotations are from the Saheeh International translation; links open the full verse on Quran.com.

Frequently asked

Can I give my zakat to my brother or sister?

Yes, if your brother or sister is poor, you can; giving to poor relatives brings greater reward.

Can I give zakat to my mother, father or grandchild?

No. Zakat is not given to parents, grandparents, children or grandchildren; their needs are met through maintenance (nafaqah) and charity (sadaqah).

Do I have to wait for Ramadan to pay zakat?

No. Zakat is paid when a lunar year has passed over wealth amounting to the nisab. If you wish, you can also pay it in advance or in instalments.

Can zakat be given to a mosque or a school?

No. Zakat is given to real individuals as their own property; it cannot be spent on building mosques, schools, Qur'an courses and the like. Sadaqah can be given for these.

In Elif

With Elif's Zakat calculator you can enter your cash, gold, silver, money owed to you and trade goods, deduct your debts and work out your zakat; you can choose the nisab based on gold (80.18 g) or silver (561 g), and calculate your fitrah (sadaqat al-fitr) on the same screen.

Download Elif free More questions

Sources

This page is compiled from the rulings of Türkiye's Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) and the sources listed. Rulings follow the Hanafi school; where other schools differ, this is noted. For your personal situation, please ask a scholar at your local mosque. Last updated: 5 October 2026.