Qualifications of Those Who Deserve ZakÁt
1959. The person receiving zakÁthas to be a twelver Shi’a. Therefore, if a person considers an individual to be a twelver Shi’a and gives his zakÁtto him, and later finds out that he wasn’t so, he will have to give the zakÁtagain.
1960. If a child or an insane person who is a tweler Shi’a happens to be poor, a person may give zakÁtto his guardian with the intention that what he gives be the property of the child or the insane person. The guardian also should accept it with the same intention.
1961.If a person is unable to contact the guardian of the child or insane person, he may himself or through a trustworthy individual utilize the zakÁtfor the (benefit of the) child or the insane person. He must make the intention of giving zakÁtat the moment that he is utilizing it for their benefit. In the event that he is able to contact their guardian, obligatory precaution dictates that he should utilize it for their benefit through the guardian himself or with his permission.
1962. One may give zakÁtto a poor person who begs. However, one may not give it to a person who spends it in a sinful manner.
1963. Obligatory precaution dictates that one cannot give zakÁtto a person who commits major sins publicly, does not offer his prayers, or consumes intoxicants.
1964. If a person is in debt and unable to repay it, the other may pay his debt with funds from zakÁt, even if paying the debtor’s expenses is obligatory on the giver.
1965. A person cannot pay for the expenses of those whose expenses are obligatory on him, such as his children, from zakÁt. However, if he fails to pay for their expenses, others may give their ZakÁt to them.
1966. There is no problem in a person giving his zakÁtto his son to pay for the expenses of his (son’s) wifeor servant.
1967. If a son requires religious texts or other academic texts, his father may buy them using funds from zakÁtand put them in his access. However, if he wishes to buy it from the share that is meant to be spent in the way of Allah (7th group under the ruling #1942), obligatory precaution dictates that a form of benefit to the general public should be associated to it.
1968. A father may give zakÁtto his son who needs to get married for the purpose of getting married, and so can a son to his father.
1969.One cannot give zakÁtto a woman whose husband pays for her expenses, or a woman whose husband does not pay for her expenses but can be compelled to do so.
1970. If a woman who is involved in a temporary marriage happens to be poor, her husband and other individuals may give their zakÁtto her. However, if her husband stipulates within the marriage contract that he will provide for her expenses, or paying for her expenses becomes obligatory on him for any other reason, one cannot give zakÁtto that woman as long as he provides for her expenses.
1971. A woman may give zakÁtto her husband who is poor, even if the husband spends the zakÁtto pay for the wife’s expenses.
1972. A sayyid may not take zakÁtfrom a non-sayyid. However, if the funds that he procures from khums or other religious dues do not suffice for his expenses, and is compelled to take zakÁtfrom a non-sayyid, he may take an amount that is sufficient to meet his daily expenses.
1973.ZakÁt can be given to a person about whom it is not known whether he is a sayyid or not.
