Q: What is the difference between al-Fuqara and al-Masakin?
Scholars have different opinions on the differences between al-Fuqara and al-Masakin. They can be summarised in the following points:
1) A person who has absolutely nothing in terms of wealth and assets is from the al-Masakin. Whereas, a person who has some wealth but less than sufficiency or less than Nisab is from the al-Fuqara’. (This is the Hanafi view. The other schools hold the opposite view).
2) Those who have at least half of their essentials in terms of money and assets are regarded as al-Masakin. Whereas, those who cannot cover half are from al-Fuqara’.
3) Those whose economic state is worse than the needy.
Reviewed on 09/11/2021
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