Is it permissible to give charity to a disbeliever?
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The Shaykh : The one after it?
The questioner : Is it permissible to give charity to a disbeliever?
The Shaykh : Yes, read what Allah the Exalted said in Surat al-Mumtahanah:[Al-Mumtahanah 60:8] This is kindness, This is justice, so it is permissible to give charity to a disbeliever on the condition that he is not one of those who fight us in our religion, do you understand? And that they have not expelled us from our homes.
But if his people are fighting us in religion or expelling us from our homes, we do not give him charity, because if we give him charity, we provide one of the meals. How much are the meals in riyals?
The questioner : Ten riyals.
The Shaykh : For ten riyals, these ten go to his state to help the disbelievers against the Muslims. So if he is from a people who do not fight us in the religion of Allah and do not expel us from our homes, there is nothing wrong with giving them charity, or if he is one whose Islam is hoped for, because some of the disbelievers who come to these lands have their hearts softened and their Islam is hoped for, and wealth is among the things that bring affection, as he said in the hadith:, and as Allah made from the zakah for those whose hearts are to be reconciled, because this brings them closer, and indeed this has happened; some disbelievers embraced Islam when they saw the softness of character of some of their sponsors and that he gives him gifts and charity, so he embraced Islam. So if his Islam is hoped for through giving him or gifting to him, there is nothing wrong.
The questioner : Is it permissible to give charity to a disbeliever?
The Shaykh : Yes, read what Allah the Exalted said in Surat al-Mumtahanah:
Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them
لا ينهاكم الله عن الذين لم يقاتلوكم في الدّين ولم يخرجوكم مِن دياركم أن تبرّوهمand to be just to them
وتقسطوا إليهمBut if his people are fighting us in religion or expelling us from our homes, we do not give him charity, because if we give him charity, we provide one of the meals. How much are the meals in riyals?
The questioner : Ten riyals.
The Shaykh : For ten riyals, these ten go to his state to help the disbelievers against the Muslims. So if he is from a people who do not fight us in the religion of Allah and do not expel us from our homes, there is nothing wrong with giving them charity, or if he is one whose Islam is hoped for, because some of the disbelievers who come to these lands have their hearts softened and their Islam is hoped for, and wealth is among the things that bring affection, as he said in the hadith: