Gharim

Gharim is a person weighed down by a debt they cannot repay.

What it means for me: Gharim names one of the eight categories eligible for Zakat. Jurists separate two kinds of debtor. One borrowed for personal need, such as food, medicine, or shelter. The other took on a debt to reconcile two feuding parties, and may qualify even while otherwise well off.

Example: A shopkeeper's debts exceed what he can pay after his business fails. Zakat collected from others may go toward what he genuinely owes.

Do not confuse with: The poor, faqir, and the needy, miskin, two other zakat categories with different tests. A gharim's problem is a specific debt, not overall poverty. Some note a gharim may not be poor at all. Nor is every debtor a gharim in the zakat sense. A person with the means to repay does not qualify.

If scholars differ: Scholars differ on the gharim who borrowed to reconcile two parties. Some hold this person may be given zakat even while wealthy. Others require some degree of need before any category qualifies.