Till today zakat to a lay man means giving alms to d poor and the third pillar of Islam.... ..but it was differentiated in the Qur'an chapter 9:60 that suratul tauba...the following 8 people are metion to be given zakat in the holy Qur'an.



1.THE POOR (AL-FUQARA):THE INDIGENT..this can mean a homeless person,orphans or kids whose families qualify for free or reduced -price lunches or anyone who does not have the funds to live a stable life to feed themselves or their family



2.THE NEEDY(AL-MASAKIN): someone who is in difficulty..someone in need might not necessarily be poor ...some people are forced out of their homes by war or natural disaster.


3.THE ZAKAT COLLECTORS (AL-AAMILEEN):Any trustworthy organization that helps you calculate your zakat and accepts the payment for it .e.g nasfat ,qareeb zakat collectors are good examples.


4.MU ALLAFATUL QULOOB:Those who just converted to Islam with nothing...zakat can be given to them.


5.AL RIQAAB (SLAVES OR CAPTIVES): I am sure thousands of people will wonder how zakat can be given to slaves and captives.well zakat can be use to help them bcom free and independent.


6.IBNUS SABEEL:Those who are stranded or traveling with few resources.it can also be a refugee who is fleeing violence in a distant country,ALLAH sbt has designated dat anyone who is away from home,out of cash and in need of help is eligible to receive your zakat.



7.AL GHARIMEEN(THE DEBTORS): zakat can help people pay their debt ,people living with great burden of debt can be paid zakat too.


8.FISABEELILLAH(IN THE CAUSE OF ALLAH): Zakat can be paid to mosques,Muslims schools &Muslim youth group to support them through ongoing contributions.