Ruling on Giving Zakah to a Dhimmi
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Q: Is it permissible to give zakah to a dhimmi (a non-Muslim under Muslim protection)?
A: According to the majority of scholars, zakah is not given to a dhimmi or any other disbeliever, and this is the correct position. There are many well-known verses and hadiths on this matter; because zakah is a means of support from Muslims for their poor and a care for meeting their needs, it must be distributed among their poor and the other members of the eight categories, unless the disbeliever is among those whose hearts are to be reconciled, who are the respected leaders obeyed in their tribes. In that case, he is given to encourage him to embrace Islam or to restrain his harm from the Muslims. Likewise, the one whose heart is to be reconciled is given to strengthen his faith if he is a Muslim, or to bring his counterpart to Islam, or for other reasons specified by the scholars.
The basis for this is the statement of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) : [Surah al-Tawbah: 60], and the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to Mu'adh ibn Jabal when he sent him to Yemen: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 625Sahih (Darussalam) This hadith is agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
A: According to the majority of scholars, zakah is not given to a dhimmi or any other disbeliever, and this is the correct position. There are many well-known verses and hadiths on this matter; because zakah is a means of support from Muslims for their poor and a care for meeting their needs, it must be distributed among their poor and the other members of the eight categories, unless the disbeliever is among those whose hearts are to be reconciled, who are the respected leaders obeyed in their tribes. In that case, he is given to encourage him to embrace Islam or to restrain his harm from the Muslims. Likewise, the one whose heart is to be reconciled is given to strengthen his faith if he is a Muslim, or to bring his counterpart to Islam, or for other reasons specified by the scholars.
The basis for this is the statement of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) :
Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together
إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاء وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ...so invite them to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that I am the Messenger of Allah. If they comply with that, then inform them that Allah has made five prayers obligatory upon them in a day and a night. If they comply with that, then inform then that Allah has ordained a charity upon their wealth, which is to be taken from the rich among them and given to the poor among them
ادعهم إلى أن يشهدوا أن لا إله إلا الله وأني رسول الله، فإن أجابوك لذلك، فأعلمهم أن الله افترض عليهم خمس صلوات في اليوم والليلة، فإن أجابوك لذلك فأعلمهم أن الله افترض عليهم صدقة تؤخذ من أغنيائهم فترد على فقرائهم
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.