So, where can your zakat go?

1. The poor (al-fuqarâ’), meaning low-income or indigent.

2. The needy (al-masâkîn), meaning someone who is in difficulty.

3. Zakat administrators.

4. Those whose hearts are to be reconciled, meaning new Muslims and friends of the Muslim community.

5. Those in bondage (slaves and captives).

6. The debt-ridden.

7. In the cause of God.

8. The wayfarer, meaning those who are stranded or traveling with few resources.

While zakat is not the only form of charity in Islam, it is so important that it was made the Third Pillar. Through zakat the prosperous can uplift the poor, help those who are troubled and comfort those who are in hardship. The law of zakat establishes the rights of the poor to support and help, and releases those who are held captive as slaves or as debtors. Zakat has the power to change the world. But it starts with you paying