Zakat is a charity God obligates Muslims to pay yearly on their money and property. Its payment is made to the poor, vulnerable, and deserving as their divinely established right. The Prophet Muhammad, on him be peace, established Zakat as the third of the five pillars that Islam is built on.

Who Receives Zakat?

Muslims pay Zakat to eight categories of eligible people set by God in the Quran (Surat Al-Tawbah, 9:60):

• The Poor (in dire need prevented from asking)
• The Indigent (whose destitution drives them to ask)
• Those Administering Zakat’s collection and distribution
• Those whose hearts are to be reconciled
• Those in bondage (slaves to be freed and captives)
• The Debt-Ridden
• In the Cause of God
• The Wayfarer (stranded, displaced, or cut off from resources while traveling)

Source: https://www.zakat.org/what-is-zakat