Arabic (غارم) for a debtor (madeen– مدين) who is not financially able to settle or repay his debt (dayn or duyun)- because he does not have the funds (mal) to do so. In shari’ah terminology (the law of zakah/ zakat), and according to Hanafi fuqaha, gharim (pl. gharimun/ gharimin) is a debtor who does not possess a nisab over and above his debt- i.e., whose funds available after repayment of debts would not be enough to meet the minimum limit of zakah liability (nisab). According to Shafi’ and Maliki jurists, Gharimun are classified as debtors who incurred debts on their own behalf and debtors who incurred debts on behalf of others.

Gharimun are one of the eight groups (heads of account) determined by the Quran as legitimate recipients of zakah.