Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
Allah The Almighty has clearly Specified the categories of zakat recipients in His Noble Book, where He Says (What means): “Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakat] and for those whose hearts are to be reconciled and for freeing captives and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the stranded traveler—an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.” [At-Tawbah/60].
Al-Imam Al-Bayḍāwī Al-Shāfiʿī (may Allah have mercy on him) commented on this verse, saying: “Zakat is to be given exclusively to these designated categories and no others… The ‘poor’ is one who has no wealth or earnings that cover his needs, while the ‘needy’ is one who has some wealth or income, but it is insufficient.” [Tafsīr Al-Bayḍāwī/vol.2/pp.455].
Therefore, zakat must be distributed to those who are rightfully entitled to it as defined in the noble verse. It is not permissible to give zakat to anyone outside these categories. Poor students may be given zakat because of their poverty, not simply because they are students.
In order for a student to be eligible to receive zakat due to poverty, the following conditions must be met:
First: that his pursuit of knowledge prevents him from working and earning a livelihood—meaning that his full-time studies are the reason for his poverty and inability to work.
Second: that he is diligent and serious in his studies; if he is neglectful or lazy, he should not be given zakat. Al-Khaṭīb al-Shirbīnī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “If a person is engaged in religious studies that he is capable of acquiring, and earning a living would prevent him from continuing his studies, then he is considered poor, and he may receive zakat because acquiring such knowledge is a communal obligation (farḍ kifāyah). As for someone who is not capable of learning, he is not to be given zakat if he is able to earn a living.” [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj 4/175, with slight adaptation].
Third: that the knowledge being pursued contributes to the fulfillment of the community's communal obligations, especially in religious sciences, as our jurists have stated. However, in our view, modern essential worldly sciences—such as medicine, engineering, physics, and similar disciplines that serve the public good—are considered like religious sciences in terms of eligibility to receive zakat.
Fourth: the poor student must not be someone whose financial support is an obligation upon the zakat payer. This is because zakat cannot be given to someone the payer is already obligated to financially maintain. Al-Khaṭīb al-Shirbīnī stated: “One of the conditions for receiving zakat is that the recipient must not be someone whose maintenance is obligatory upon the payer.” [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj 4/183].
It is permissible for someone who owes zakat to appoint a trustworthy individual or an authorized institution to deliver their zakat to eligible recipients, including poor students. In doing so, the payer should carefully select those who are most deserving among the students.
Accordingly, the zakat payer may authorize a fund or organization to distribute zakat to needy students by handing them the funds so they can pay their university tuition or study expenses, or by seeking their permission to pay these fees directly to the university on their behalf. There is no doubt that giving zakat to this deserving group carries great reward due to its significant impact on spreading beneficial knowledge in the land and among the people.
Therefore, it is permissible for the zakat payer to entrust their zakat to a fund or institution, provided that it is trustworthy, does not charge any fees from the zakat itself, and is volunteering to deliver the zakat to eligible recipients. The fund may also be appointed to distribute zakat to poor students who are diligent in their studies. And Allah Almighty Knows Best.
