Is it permissible to give part of the zakat money to a non-Muslim? Dr. Karadaghi answers

The new episode of “Days of God” on the Al-Jazeera Mubasher channel dealt with the topic of “Zakat, how it is paid, and the manifestations of charity in it.” The guest of the episode was Dr. Ali Al-Qarah Daghi – Secretary General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars.

Daghi talked about the time and amount of zakat to be paid, as well as 4 cases in which it is permissible to transfer Zakat Al-Fitr to another country, and it is permissible to give part of the zakat money to a non-Muslim.

In response to a question about giving a portion of the zakat to a non-Muslim neighbor as a matter of composing the heart, Dr. Al-Qurra Daghi said that paying zakat to the composer of their hearts is permissible according to the text of the Noble Qur’an.

He added, but more than that, if he is inside our Islamic nation when we distribute zakat, such as charitable societies, there should not be a differentiation inside the camp between a Muslim and a non-Muslim, but rather that they be given to everyone without differentiation.

Daghi cited the Prophet’s treatment of non-Muslims and added that Umar ibn al-Khattab did the same in his treatment of non-Muslims, stressing that Islam is a great religion, but it is being distorted by extremist groups in the West.

And about what is stated in the books that the requirement of taking zakat must be a Muslim, Dr. said that when an audience of scholars, but there are scholars from authorized it, especially authorship unanimously, recalling the verse generous “but alms to the poor and the needy and the workers on whose hearts and in the necks and debtors in Sabeel Allah and Ibn As Sabil is an ordinance from God and God is All-Knowing, Wise.

As for other than composing the heart, and if there are poor living within the Islamic ummah, there is no differentiation between them, indicating that there is another rule called “authenticity and dependency” for the majority to be Muslims, including non-Muslims, so they should not be deported in order not to cause sedition.

Dr. Al-Qaradaghi concluded his clarification by saying, “The principle is not to give, but in special cases such as cases of originality and subordination and in cases of a non-Muslim minority that should not be excluded, as well as in the case of composing the heart, which is unanimously agreed upon as stated in the noble verse.

Cases in which it is permissible to transfer Zakat Al-Fitr to another country

With regard to transferring Zakat Al-Fitr to another party, Dr. Al-Qarah Daghi said that this is done in 4 cases:

In the event of a general pandemic, as is happening today, or in the case of disasters, as happened in Syria, or in the case of natural disasters, which make people in dire need of money.

Likewise, for poor relatives, and this is charity and a link to the womb, and the third thing in which it is permissible to transfer zakat is to resist and ward off aggression as it happens in Palestine and Holy Jerusalem, and the fourth case is that there are no poor people in the country in which a person lives, which must be sent to those who need it.