The Recipients of Zakah and the Interpretation of the Statement of Allah the Exalted: "Indeed, alms are only for the poor and the needy..."
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The Shaykh : Where is the recipient of zakah? Where is the recipient of zakah? We say that Allah the Mighty and Majestic specified the recipients of zakah Himself. He took charge of specifying them Himself; He did not entrust their specification to a near angel or a sent prophet. Rather, He specified them Himself, saying the Exalted: "Let him recite the verse for us." Who? Please. Standing up. I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan.
The student:[At-Tawbah 9:60]
The Shaykh : No.[At-Tawbah 9:60]. Rest.
We ask the scholars of the Arabic language: what does it signify?
The student: Restriction.
The Shaykh : What is the meaning of restriction?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Good. You said it in the sense, and that is good, what Allah willed. Restriction means affirming the ruling for what is mentioned and denying it for everything else; that is, the ruling is affirmed for the mentioned categories and is not affirmed for others. So Allah the Mighty and Majestic restricted the categories of zakah to eight.[At-Tawbah 9:60] Eight. Good.
The student:
Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler
إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ ...The Shaykh : No.
an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.
فريضة من الله والله عليم حكيمActions are only
إنماThe student: Restriction.
The Shaykh : What is the meaning of restriction?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Good. You said it in the sense, and that is good, what Allah willed. Restriction means affirming the ruling for what is mentioned and denying it for everything else; that is, the ruling is affirmed for the mentioned categories and is not affirmed for others. So Allah the Mighty and Majestic restricted the categories of zakah to eight.