Who are the recipients of zakah, and the meaning of the saying of Allah the Exalted: "Indeed, alms are only for the poor and the needy and those employed to collect them and to attract the hearts of [new converts] and for freeing captives and those in debt and in the cause of Allah and for the traveler"

The Shaykh : As for our lesson tonight, it will be brief, given that today is Friday. We will speak about the recipients of zakah: who are the recipients of zakah?
The answer is that Allah the Mighty and Majestic specified the recipients of zakah in the Book; He did not leave the knowledge and explanation of them to anyone. He said: These are eight categories . These eight are the recipients of zakah. Allah began with the poor because they are the most in need, then the needy because they are below them in status, and so on. Thus, Allah the Exalted begins with the most important, then the next most important.