Is it obligatory for those to whom zakah is given to be Muslims?

The questioner :
Is it obligatory that they be Muslims?

The Shaykh :
Zakat al-fitr is an obligatory duty that must be given to the poor Muslim. This is the view of the majority of scholars.
Some of the early scholars permitted giving it to the dhimmi (a non-Muslim under Muslim protection) as well, treating this obligatory charity
in the same manner as voluntary charity. Voluntary charity is permissible to give to the dhimmi. Of course, you know what a dhimmi is.
Today they call it by a different name; they call it "citizen." This is part of the changes that have occurred in the
Islamic era due to their gradual distancing from Islamic life. What is this atmosphere, this environment in which we live?
Do you think it is an Islamic atmosphere? The term "dhimmi" is no longer accepted because it requires a ruler who governs
by a system, and part of that system is taking the jizyah (the tax on protected non-Muslims) from the people of dhimmah. Unfortunately, this no longer has any effect, and consequently,
one of the results was that this name disappeared. Therefore, we live in an atmosphere, in a time when concepts are changing gradually, just as
they did in what they call the fine arts, where they introduced the forbidden and the prohibited sins. By the way, I say,
with great regret, how evil seeps in gradually. I prayed Maghrib yesterday in an Islamic mosque,
and the radio was on. It seems it was in a room behind the door.
The radio was on, reciting the Qur'an to the furthest extent. It is not permissible in the mosque— he— was broadcasting to the people
the Noble Qur'an. He did not know that this broadcast was a mistake. The point here is not that you know the Noble Qur'an, you know
and our broadcast, which is not affected by the fatwas of our scholars, saying that it is not permissible to create music for the Qur'an with musical instruments, so it broadcasts
so it broadcasts a musical piece after the Qur'an. I heard this music while we were praying Maghrib at the same time. This
thing is very terrifying. And just as pictures began to enter the mosques, how so? First, as they say, the barrier, until
pictures entered the mosques. And these pictures are not by hand, but by machine, meaning the pictures that were approved by the machine
are permissible, and those drawn by hand are not permissible. And it is as if the picture taken by the machine was not taken by hand.
If you leave the machine for a million years, if you do not press the button with your hand, it will not take any picture at all. The important thing is that from here, misguidance began
to seep into the mosques. And you are praying, you will find in front of you a picture of the Ka'bah and around it the circumambulators around
the House. Correct, now, in principle, look at how evil proceeds. In principle, people do not see them, but a time will come,
unless Allah wills, you may find people circumambulating, adult people, you may find a picture of the king, for example, circumambulating
alone with a guard or two guards, and so on. Evil proceeds gradually. So be careful. What were we talking about?