Is It Permissible to Give Zakat to Non-Muslims?
Answered by Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib
Question
Is it permissible to give zakat to non-Muslims?
Answer
In the name of Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, his Family, his Companions, and those who follow him.
The Pillar of Zakat and Its Recipients
Zakat is one of the pillars of Islam and must be given to its rightful recipients to discharge one’s obligation properly. If someone does not give zakat to its proper recipients, it remains a debt on their conscience and accountability. The default ruling is that zakat should be given to a needy Muslim who meets the criteria of zakat eligibility. In a hadith, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“Inform them that Allah has made it obligatory upon them to give charity from their wealth, which is to be taken from their rich and given to their poor.” [Bukhari; Muslim]
Zakat Not for Non-Muslims
Imam Nawawi stated: “It is understood from this (above hadith) that zakat is not given to a disbeliever.” [Nawawi, Sharh Muslim]
In Bahr al-Madhhab, it is mentioned: “Section: If it is established that zakat is to be given to those whom Allah has specified among the eight categories, then it is not permissible to give it to anyone except Muslims, just as it is not permissible to take zakat from anyone except Muslims. This is the opinion of Shafi‘i, Malik, Ahmad, Ishaq, and Abu Thawr.” [Ruwayani, Bahr al-Madhhab]
Safekeeping Zakat if No Eligible Recipients are Found
According to the Shafi‘i School, if no eligible recipients of zakat can be found, the zakat should be kept safely until someone eligible is available to receive it. Khatib Shirbini mentions:
“If none of the eligible recipients are found in the area of the zakat or elsewhere, the zakat should be preserved until some or all of the eligible recipients are found.” [Shirbini, Mughni al-Muhtaj]
Therefore, according to the Shafi‘i School, the ruling is clear on this issue: zakat should not be given to non-Muslims, and it is hard to imagine that a country would completely lack needy Muslims for one to consider giving zakat to non-Muslims.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib
Shaykh Dr Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib is a prominent Islamic scholar from Yemen born in Shibam, Hadhramaut, in 1976. He received his degree in Shari‘a from Al-Ahqaf University, a master’s degree from the Islamic University of Beirut, and a PhD in Usul al-Din from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
He studied under great scholars such as Shaykh al-Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad, Shaykh Fadl Ba‘ fadl, Habib Salim al-Shatiri, Habib Ali Mashhur bin Hafeez, and others. He has served as the Director of Publications at Dar al-Fiqh, the former Deputy Director of Cultural Relations at Al-Ahqaf University, a former Assistant for Employee Affairs at Atiyah Iron Company, a researcher at the Sunna Center affiliated with the Dallah al-Baraka Foundation, and a researcher at Al-Furqan Foundation’s Makka al-Mukarrama and Madina al-Munawwara Encyclopedia branch.
Currently, he is a researcher at Al-Furqan Foundation’s Makka al-Mukarrama and Madina al-Munawwara Encyclopedia branch, teaches traditionally through the Ijaza system at Dar al-Fuqaha in Turkey, supervises the Arabic department at Nur al-Huda International Institute (SeekersGuidance), and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Manuscript House in Istanbul.
His works include “The Efforts of Hadhramaut Jurists in Serving the Shafi‘i School,” “Contributions of Hadhramaut Scholars in Spreading Islam and its Sciences in India,” “Hada’iq al-Na‘im in Shafi‘i Fiqh,” in addition to verifying several books in Fiqh, history, the art of biographies, and Asanid (chains of narration).
