What are the categories to whom charity is given, which of them is most deserving and yields the greatest reward, what is the difference between spending [nafahah] and charity [sadaqah], and what are the conditions for the recipient of charity, particularly in specific contexts such as supporting Islam, alleviating hardship for the destitute, paying off the debt of the indebted, and relatives and maintaining kinship ties, after the giver has pledged to Allah to donate a tenth of what He provides him?

Charity encompasses all avenues of good. If the intention is general, then charity, in its specific sense, refers to what is given for the sake of Allah to the poor. If a person in hardship is poor, then easing their burden is charity, and similarly for debtors and relatives if they are poor. The most deserving are those in greatest need. If they are equal in need, then relatives are more deserving, as it is both charity and maintaining kinship ties. The difference between expenditure (nafaqah (definition)) and charity (sadaqah (definition)) lies in the speaker's intent. Expenditure can be charity if spent on good causes, while charity is more specific in its intention for good. It is not a condition for the recipient of charity to be a Muslim or a believer; it is permissible to give charity to a disbeliever or an animal. However, spending charities on those who are thereby strengthened in their obedience to Allah is more virtuous.