The eight categories
The Qur'an (9:60) lists: the poor (fuqara), the needy (masakin), those who administer the zakat, those whose hearts are to be reconciled, freeing captives, those in debt, in the cause of Allah, and the stranded traveller.
A recipient should be Muslim for zakat proper, on the majority view. General charity (sadaqah) is different: it can go to anyone.
Family: who is barred, who is encouraged
Zakat cannot go to your parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, or spouse — the people you are already obliged to support.
Other relatives are a different matter: zakat can go to relatives who qualify, such as siblings, uncles, and cousins, and giving to a needy relative is encouraged.
Distributing your zakat
Work out the amount first — the zakat calculator does the 2.5% arithmetic — then distribute it among qualifying recipients. You may hand it to eligible individuals yourself or through a trustworthy body that allocates it strictly to the eight categories.
Keep a note of what you paid and to whom; if you spread it in instalments through the year, that record keeps the hawl date settlement clean.
A worked example (illustrative numbers)
A household owes $250 of zakat this year: 2.5% of $10,000 of net zakatable wealth held above nisab on the zakat date.
They may give it to, say, a needy cousin (an eligible relative — encouraged) and a local family in debt: both are among the eight categories. They may not send it to their own parents or children, and under the classical view not to the mosque building fund either.
Frequently asked questions
Can I give zakat to my parents or children?
No. Zakat cannot go to your parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, or spouse — people you are already obliged to support. It can go to other relatives who qualify, such as siblings, uncles, and cousins, and a needy relative is an encouraged recipient.
Can zakat pay for building a mosque?
Under the classical view, no — zakat cannot fund mosque construction or general charity work. Some contemporary scholars allow "in the cause of Allah" more widely, but that is a minority view. Sadaqah, not zakat, is the usual vehicle for mosque projects.
Can non-Muslims receive my zakat?
For zakat proper, the recipient should be Muslim, on the majority view. General charity (sadaqah) can go to anyone.
What are the eight categories of zakat recipients?
From Qur'an 9:60: the poor (fuqara), the needy (masakin), those who administer the zakat, those whose hearts are to be reconciled, freeing captives, those in debt, in the cause of Allah, and the stranded traveller.