Categories of Zakat in the Hanbali Madhhab

There are only eight valid recipients of zakāh. The Ḥanbalī madhhab is very strict on the categories for zakāh and does not permit expanding these categories. This is based on the usage of innamā at the beginning of the verse of zakāh. Technical details have been omitted for the sake of brevity and the issues are well known to students of knowledge.

This is to the point that zakāh being used for mosques, allocating copies of the Qur'an and endowments and other such projects isn't allowed though they are from the most noble of good deeds. The Ḥanābilah discuss the hypothetical scenario that even if there were none of the 8 categories of zakāh available then zakāh wouldn't be paid to anyone else rather one would wait until one of those categories was present.

Shaykh Manṣūr al-Buhūtī explains that "it is not permissible to distribute zakāh to others, such as constructing masājid and bridges, repairing dams, shrouding the deceased, endowments of maṣāḥif, and other avenues of good."

These eight valid categories are:

1. The fuqarāʾ, who are those who have less than half of their needs for the year.

2. The masākīn, who are those who have more than half, but not all of their needs for the year.

3. The ʿāmilūn ʿalayhā, who are those the imām sends out to take zakāh.

This includes collectors, keepers, scribes, and distributors. It is a condition that they are mukallaf, Muslim, trustworthy, competent, and not from Banū Hāshim or Banū ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib.

Charities do not fall under the category of al-ʿāmilīn ʿalayhā for a variety of reasons. From them: that they weren't appointed by the imām or whomever is in his place.

4. The muʾallafat al-qulūb, who are chieftains obeyed in their tribe (al-sayyid al-muṭāʿ).

Shaykh Manṣūr further explains in Kashshāf al-Qināʿ that, "They are the chieftains obeyed in their tribes. Whoever is not like that is not given zakāh as taʾlīf because the word muʾallaf was not applied to them."

Muʾallafat al-qulūb is a very strict category, and the Ḥanābilah being from those who say it is not abrogated; though they mentioned various restrictions, such as being a sayyid who is obeyed within his tribe.

This is to the point that there is a second riwāyah that the category is in fact abrogated. Some of the scholars mention the details of this position, such as al-Majd Ibn Taymiyyah, such as that money for such a category would be given to the other categories based on this view–though this is not the muftā bih of the madhhab.

5. The riqāb, who are slaves who have entered a kitābah agreement with their master.

6. The ghārimūn, who are either (i) those reconciling two groups in conflict, or (ii) those in debt themselves due to a permissible reason, or due to a forbidden reason and they have repented.

7. Fī sabīl Allāh, who are the ghuzāt mutaṭawwiʿah who are either (i) not in the records, or (ii) have less than what suffices them.

Fī sabīl Allāh does not mean any and every good. When iṭlāq is given of this term, the Islamic legal understanding is given of it: which is for the al-ghuzāt al-mutaṭawwiʿah.

Nothing can be added to this unless there is evidence and is mentioned by the scholars according to the principles of the madhhab, and not based on one's whims and desires.

8. The ibn sabīl, who are travellers cut off from their homeland and were engaged in travel which is (i) permissible, or (ii) was forbidden and they repented.

Shaykh Manṣūr says that "it is not permissible to transport zakāh beyond the distance by which prayer is shortened under any circumstance." However if it is done, it suffices as zakāh.

Based on the madhhab, one should strive to find those who can take zakāh within the distance of travelling in the madhhab. In addition to this, one should thoroughly check the zakāh as it is one's own responsibility to ensure the funds reach where they are supposed to be allocated, whilst checking if anything is taken from the amount, when it actually reaches its destination and any other related issues .

Merely giving zakāh to the charity for example without checking these matters does not suffice; and in reality: the best course of action is one distributing oneself, where possible.

Shaykh Manṣūr also mentions that "if any zakāh is left over for someone who is a (i) ibn sabīl, (ii) ghāzī, (iii) ghārim, or (iv) mukātib: they must return it. All other categories may use zakāh as they see fit, since their ownership of it has become established."