Is it obligatory to give Zakah equally to the eight eligible categories prescribed in the Noble Quran?
Answer:
Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds.
Shafie jurists hold the opinion that Zakah must be given equally to the eight eligible categories and, according to them, this is an obligation. However, later Shafie jurists are of the view that it is permissible to give the Zakah to one category without the other and equality amongst the eight categories isn`t a must. "The other three jurists (Hanafie, Hanbali and Maliki) and many other scholars are of the view that it is permissible to give the Zakah to one category, and this is the opinion of AlFakhir AlRazi. The three jurists also said that the interpretation of verse 60/AtTawbah Chapter clearly indicates that the Zakah is to be given to one of the eligible categories; not all of them. Al-Shafie says, "The Zakah isn`t to be given to other than the eight eligible categories prescribed in the Noble Quran nor to some of them…"
Ibn Adjeel, from Yemen, says, "We disagree with the view of the Shafie school in three matters related to Zakah: transporting Zakah to another country, paying Zakah to one person from the same category and giving Zakah to some of the eight eligible categories." And Allah The Almighty knows best.