Neither the Quran nor the Hadiths specify the relative division of zakat into the above eight categories.Masahiko Aoki, Timur Kuran and Gérard Roland (2012), Political consequences of the Middle East's Islamic economic legacy, in Institutions and Comparative Economic Development, Palgrave Macmillan, , Chapter 5, pp. 124–148 According to the Reliance of the Traveller, the Shafi'i school requires zakat is to be distributed equally among the eight categories of recipients, while the Hanafi school permits zakat to be distributed to all the categories, some of them, or just one of them. Classical schools of Islamic law, including Shafi'i, are unanimous that collectors of zakat are to be paid first, with the balance to be distributed equally amongst the remaining seven categories of recipients, even in cases where one group's need is more demanding.
neither the quran nor the hadiths specify the relative division of zakat into the above eight categoriesmasahiko aoki timur kuran and gérard roland (2012) political consequences of the middle east's islamic economic legacy in institutions and comparative economic development palgrave macmillan  chapter 5 pp 124–148 according to the reliance of the traveller the shafi'i school requires zakat is to be distributed equally among the eight categories of recipients while the hanafi school permits zakat to be distributed to all the categories some of them or just one of them classical schools of islamic law including shafi'i are unanimous that collectors of zakat are to be paid first with the balance to be distributed equally amongst the remaining seven categories of recipients even in cases where one group's need is more demanding