Surah At-Tawba (9) — Ayah 60

(Ayah60) ➊ {اِنَّمَا الصَّدَقٰتُ لِلْفُقَرَآءِ وَ الْمَسٰكِيْنِ … :} To remove the criticism of the hypocrites, Allah Himself has stated the rightful recipients of charity, so that everyone knows that even the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) does not have the authority to distribute charity, therefore criticism against him (peace be upon him) is futile. Here, charity refers to obligatory charity, i.e., zakat and ushr, because the officials sent by the government for collection were sent only for obligatory zakat, although it is possible that someone may deposit voluntary charity with them as well. Charity is called charity because the one who spends wealth for Allah practically demonstrates the truthfulness of his faith. This word is generally used for voluntary spending, but sometimes it is also used for obligatory spending, as Allah said: «خُذْ مِنْ اَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً» [ التوبۃ : ۱۰۳ ] Here, obligatory charity is meant. At the end of this verse, {’’ فَرِيْضَةً مِّنَ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} also proves this, because voluntary charity is not called an obligation. {’’ اِنَّمَا الصَّدَقٰتُ ‘‘} shows that it is not permissible to spend zakat and ushr except in these categories.

➋ {لِلْفُقَرَآءِ وَ الْمَسٰكِيْنِ:} Both the words "faqir" and "miskin" mean needy. Some scholars consider the faqir to be in a worse condition, some consider the miskin to be worse off, and some consider both to be the same. Based on the evidence, the preferred opinion seems to be that the faqir is in a worse condition than the miskin, because it is derived from "faqr," and the vertebrae of the back are called {’’ فَقَرَاتُ الظَّهْرِ‘‘}. Faqir means "mafqur," i.e., as if his back is broken due to lack of necessities. Miskin is derived from "sakan," meaning that neediness has turned his movement into stillness. So, the state of the faqir is like that of a person who has nothing, and the miskin is one whose income is less than his needs, as Allah said: «اَمَّا السَّفِيْنَةُ فَكَانَتْ لِمَسٰكِيْنَ يَعْمَلُوْنَ فِي الْبَحْرِ » [ الکہف : ۷۹ ] meaning, that boat belonged to some masakeen who worked at sea. Obviously, the owner of a boat, whatever work he does, is not completely empty-handed. However, due to income being less than needs, he is needy and destitute. The fact that "fuqara" is mentioned first in the verse under discussion also indicates that they are in a worse condition. But it should be remembered that this distinction is necessary only when both words, faqir and miskin, come together, just as there is a difference between iman and Islam, but if they come separately, both refer to the same needy people, whether they have something or not. Both are eligible for zakat, whether they are destitute faqirs or respectable needy.

➌ { وَ الْعٰمِلِيْنَ عَلَيْهَا:} The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to appoint people for the collection of zakat and ushr and would properly audit them, as he appointed Ibn al-Lutbiyyah (may Allah be pleased with him) for this task and, upon his return, while auditing, declared the gifts received by government officials as unlawful for them. Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) established a chapter in {’’ كِتَابُ الْاَحْكَامِ‘‘} : {’’ بَابُ رِزْقِ الْحُكَّامِ وَالْعَامِلِيْنَ عَلَيْهَا۔‘‘}

➍ { وَ الْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوْبُهُمْ:} This refers to those new Muslims whose hearts are to be reconciled to keep them firm in Islam, or those disbelievers whose hearts are to be reconciled in the hope that they will accept Islam, or those influential people spending on whom may lead to many others accepting Islam, or those disbelieving leaders whose reconciliation may protect Muslims in their area from oppression and persecution. Some people say that after the dominance of Islam, this category ended, as Amir al-Mu'minin Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said, but considering the current circumstances, perhaps this need is even greater today than in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), because the disbelievers are turning Muslims away from Islam in the same way.

➎ { وَ فِي الرِّقَابِ:} "Freeing necks" means buying slaves and setting them free. It also includes helping mukatab slaves (those who have made an agreement with their masters to pay their price in installments for freedom). Nowadays, due to the infidel judicial system, innocent people or those sinners whose punishment is not imprisonment according to Shariah, but are imprisoned due to infidel law, or those who are rotting in jails for years because they cannot pay fines imposed by infidel courts or cannot pay legal expenses, spending zakat to free them is also included in this. (And Allah knows best)

➏ { وَ الْغٰرِمِيْنَ :} Those debtors who cannot pay their debts, or those businessmen or landowners, etc., who have become burdened due to business or crop failure, if they pay their debts from their assets, they will become faqir, or those influential people who have taken upon themselves to pay blood money or amounts for reconciliation, all these are included among the debtors.

➐ {وَ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ:} This word has two usages: firstly, every good deed is for Allah and in the way of Allah, and spending on the poor and needy, etc., is also "fi sabilillah," which has already been mentioned in this verse. Secondly, there is a "fi sabilillah" separate from all these. By consensus of all commentators, this refers to jihad fi sabilillah. Even if the mujahid is wealthy, he can be given for his needs in jihad. In hadith, Hajj and Umrah are also included in this category. If you look at the books of tafsir or the explanation of {’’ وَ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} in fiqh, you will find its explanation as {’’ هُمُ الْغُزَاةُ ‘‘}, meaning that this refers to those who fight in the way of Allah, and the scholars have decided that if on one side there are the poor and needy, and on the other side the warriors of Islam are in need, then helping the mujahideen is given preference, because in case of defeat, along with poverty and destitution, the humiliation of slavery to the disbelievers and the disgrace of Islam will also be added.

➑ { وَ ابْنِ السَّبِيْلِ:} A traveler, even if he is wealthy, if he is in need during travel, he can be given from zakat.

➒ { فَرِيْضَةً مِّنَ اللّٰهِ:} It is understood that these are the categories for obligatory charity and ushr. Some scholars have said that it is necessary to divide the wealth coming from zakat and ushr into eight parts and to spend in every category, but considering the practice of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the caliphs, most scholars say that it is permissible to spend more, or even all, in whichever category there is more need. However, it is not permissible to spend outside these categories, and this is the correct view. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) himself has permitted this. Remember that obligatory charity can only be spent on Muslims, because when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) to Yemen, he instructed him to teach the people of Yemen the testimony of faith and the five daily prayers, and after they accepted, to inform them about zakat, that Allah has made charity obligatory on their wealth: [ تُؤْخَذُ مِنْ أَغْنِيَاءِ هِمْ فَتُرَدُّ فِيْ فُقَرَاءِ هِمْ ] "which will be taken from their rich and returned to their poor." [ بخاری، الزکوٰۃ، باب أخذ الزکوٰۃ من الأغنیاء …: ۱۴۹۶ ] Spending on "muallafatul qulub" is also, in fact, a form of spending on Muslims.