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The first and second are the fuqara and masakin (the poor and needy) . They should be given zakah to meet their needs. The difference between the fuqara and masakin is that the fuqara are in greater need; one of them cannot find enough to suffice himself and his dependents for half a year. The masakin are better off than the fuqara, because they can find half of what will suffice them or more. These people should be given zakah because of their need.
The third is: those employed to collect or administer (the funds), i.e., those who are appointed by the authorities. This refers to those who are involved in the collection and distribution of zakah. They are the collectors who collect it from those who have to pay it, and the ones who divide it among those who are entitled to it, and those who record it, and so on. All of these are those employed to collect [or administer] (the funds) who may be given some of the zakah.
The fourth is: “to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam)”. These are people who may be given zakah in order to open their hearts towards Islam, either a kafir who we hope will become Muslim, or a Muslim to whom we give in order to strengthen his faith, or an evil man to whom we give zakah so as to ward off his evil from the Muslims, and other cases in which it is in the Muslims’ interests to attract their hearts.

These four may be given zakah on the basis of ownership; they may be given full ownership that is not altered if they cease to fall into these categories during the year. They will not be required to return the zakah and it will remain permissible for them, because Allah described them as being entitled to it and says “As-Sadaqat (here it means zakah) are only for the Fuqara (poor), and Al-Masakin (the poor) and those employed to collect (the funds); and to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam)”. He used the word li (innama al-sadaqat li’l-fuqar [As-Sadaqaat (here it means zakah) are only for the Fuqara (poor)]…).

What this means is that even if the poor person becomes independent of means during the year, he is not obliged to return the zakah, such as if we were to give him ten thousand because he is poor and that will suffice him for one year, then Allah made him independent of means during that year by causing him to earn money, or by causing him to inherit from a relative who dies, and so on, he does not have to return whatever is left of the zakah money that he took, because it now belongs to him.

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﷽

The first and second are the fuqara and masakin (the poor and needy) . They should be given zakah to meet their needs. The difference between the fuqara and masakin is that the fuqara are in greater need; one of them cannot find enough to suffice himself and his dependents for half a year. The masakin are better off than the fuqara, because they can find half of what will suffice them or more. These people should be given zakah because of their need.

The third is: those employed to collect or administer (the funds), i.e., those who are appointed by the authorities. This refers to those who are involved in the collection and distribution of zakah. They are the collectors who collect it from those who have to pay it, and the ones who divide it among those who are entitled to it, and those who record it, and so on. All of these are those employed to collect [or administer] (the funds) who may be given some of the zakah.

The fourth is: “to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam)”. These are people who may be given zakah in order to open their hearts towards Islam, either a kafir who we hope will become Muslim, or a Muslim to whom we give in order to strengthen his faith, or an evil man to whom we give zakah so as to ward off his evil from the Muslims, and other cases in which it is in the Muslims’ interests to attract their hearts.