The Fourth: Those Whose Hearts Are to Be Reconciled

The Shaykh : Those whose hearts are to be reconciled are the leaders of the tribes and clans whose Islam is hoped for, or whose harm is hoped to be restrained, or whose counterparts are hoped to embrace Islam, or similar general benefits. These are among those whose hearts are to be reconciled. It may be a disbeliever, but if we give him from the zakah because his heart will be reconciled and he will believe, we give him from the zakah. Or it may be a believer whose faith is deficient, so we give him from the zakah to strengthen his faith. Is this valid? Yes, because this is among those whose hearts are to be reconciled. It may be a believer with complete faith, but he has a counterpart among the rulers who is wicked and evil and harms the Muslims, so we give to this man for the sake of the Islam of his counterpart, so that his counterpart will submit and we may be safe from his harm. The important point is that those whose hearts are to be reconciled are all those who are given to avert their evil, or the evil of their counterparts, or for their faith, or to strengthen their faith. Be careful, but is it a condition that this person be a leader obeyed in his people, or is he given even if he is not a leader and not obeyed in his people? Some scholars hold that he must be a leader obeyed in his people, because if we give him to reconcile his heart and his heart is reconciled to us, is his benefit particular or general? General, for him and his people. But if he is an ordinary person with weak faith and we want to give him from the zakah to strengthen his faith, these scholars who condition that the recipient be a leader hold that he is not given from the zakah, because the benefit expected from him is particular, not general? Particular. But the correct opinion in my view is that he is given even if he is an individual, due to the generality of the verse and because if a man is given for his physical life, if he is poor and needs food, drink, and clothing, then giving him for the life of his heart is all the more so, because a person’s need for faith is greater than his need for food, drink, and clothing. So if we find a person who has recently embraced Islam and needs his faith strengthened, there is no harm in our giving him from the zakah, as long as we know that he is sincere. And there is no doubt that a gift removes resentment and establishes affection. What is resentment? It is hatred and enmity, and it brings about affection, which is apparent. Therefore, it came in the hadith: So a gift removes resentment, and this is an observed reality. How many categories have we mentioned now? Four: the poor, the needy, those employed to collect it, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled.