Is it permissible to give zakah to one who calls upon other than Allah or swears by other than Allah?

Question : The questioner asks: Is it permissible to give zakah to a Muslim who calls upon other than Allah, swears by other than Allah, circumambulates the shrines, and believes that the righteous bring benefit and harm?

Answer : Yes, the one mentioned in the question is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) and a disbeliever. Allah does not accept from him any prayer, fasting, charity, or anything else. The one who calls upon other than Allah is a mushrik, and the one who worships graves is a mushrik. This person is not given from the zakah. Rather, he is called to Islam and tawhid (the oneness of Allah) is explained to him. If he embraces tawhid, that is what is required. Otherwise, the one in authority must implement what the Shari'ah requires in his case. As for the one who swears by other than Allah, he is given from the zakah, because swearing by other than Allah does not take one out of the religion, even though it is shirk (associating partners with Allah). He is given from the zakah, and he is advised and shown that swearing by other than Allah is a type of shirk, so that perhaps Allah will guide him. Yes.