Permissibility of granting a single indigent recipient multiple categories of Zakat funds when multiple causes are present
Chapter on Zakat on Sheep
Al-Mughni
Book of Zakat
Primary text
If one individual qualifies for Zakat funds based on multiple criteria (e.g., being poor, a warrior for the cause, or a debtor), it is permissible to grant them funds based on all qualifying grounds. This is because the validity of each cause stands independently, and the presence of another qualifying cause does not negate the ruling established by the first. For instance, a poor laborer may take his wages; if those are insufficient, he may take what ensures his self-sufficiency. If he is a warrior, he may take what covers his expedition costs, and if he is a debtor, he may take what settles his debt.
Supporting text
There is a narration attributed to Ahmad stating that if a person possesses two hundred units and owes an equal amount, he should not be given Zakat if the amount that establishes sufficiency (for debt repayment) is fifty units. This indicates that when paying a debtor, the recipient must be considered poor.