Reference: http://www.binbaz.org.sa/audio/noor/080112.mp3
As for voluntary charity, there is nothing wrong with giving it to a poor and needy non-Muslim, who is not involved in any war with us i.e. the one with whom we have safety, security or a contract of peace – there is no problem with this.
Allāh, the majestic & exalted, said in his Book, in sūrah al-Mumtaḥina:
{Allāh does not forbid you to be just and kind to those who did not fight against you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allāh loves those who deal with equity.} [60:08]
So Allāh, the glorified & most-high, informed us that He does not prevent us from this. He said: {Allāh does not prevent you from kindness and justice with those who do not fight you nor expel you from your homes}.
Charity is among the avenues of kindness.
Also, the mother [1] of Asmā bint Abī Bakr As-Siddīq, may Allāh be pleased with her, came to Madeenah in the days of the truce, seeking charity and aid from her. Asmā asked permission from the Prophet ﷺ for this.
The Prophet ﷺ granted her permission to give charity to her and show goodness to her. He said,
Maintain your ties of kinship with her.
The intent is that there is no problem in showing goodness and giving charity to the poor amongst your relatives who are disbelievers or other than your relatives.
This is the case when there is peace between you and them; they live under your security or a peace treaty exists. As for the one fighting against us in a state of war, no, we do not give them anything, neither a little nor a lot.
As for donating Zakāh to them, no; it is not given to them except those people who [come under the category of those] ‘whose hearts are inclined to Islām.’
Zakāh is given to such people, who we wish to attract [to Islām] and they have an influence amongst people, the tribesmen; the people who, if Zakāh was given to them, it is hoped they will accept Islām and also those who are under their authority will accept Islām – thereby repelling harm upon the Muslims. This is because these types of people are leaders and influential. Zakāh is given to them because Allāh, the Exalted, said in his great Book,
{As-Sadaqāt (here it means Zakāt) is only for the poor, the needy, those employed to collect (the funds); and to attract the hearts of those who are inclined (towards Islaam)} [09:60]
[The category of] those whose hearts we wish to reconcile by giving to them Zakāh includes:
1. A Muslim – the one who is weak in his faith, from the bedouins or other than them.
2. A non-Muslim – who is shown kindness, hoping he will accept Islām, his harm can be prevented from the Muslims or that those who are under his authority will accept Islām. There is nothing wrong with giving Zakāt to such a person.
As for the common people from amongst the non-Muslims, they are not to be given any wealth from the Zakāt, but they can be given from charity other than Zakāt and this is because they are in need and poor.
Footnotes
[1] She was a disbeliever at the time
الصدقة للكفار
المرجع: http://www.binbaz.org.sa/audio/noor/080112.mp3
أما الصدقة تطوع فلا بأس أن يعطاها الكافر الفقير الذي ليس حربي، يعني بيننا وبينهم أمان أو ذمة أو عهد لا بأس، يقول الله -جل وعلا- في كتابه العظيم في سورة الممتحنة:
{لَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِين} [60:08]
فأخبر- سبحانه وتعالى- لا ينهانا عن هذا، يقول لَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ. والبر منها الصدقة.
وقد قدمت أم أسماء بنت أبي بكر الصديق – رضي الله عنها – على النبي – صلى الله عليه وسلم – في المدينة في أيام الهدنة تسأل بنتها الصدقة والمساعدة، فاستأذنت أسماء النبي – صلى الله عليه وسلم – في ذلك فأذن لها أن تتصدق عليها وتحسن إليها، وقال: ((صليها))
فالمقصود أن الإحسان والصدقة على الفقراء من أقاربك الكفار أو من غيرهم لا بأس بذلك، إذا كان بيننا وبينهم أمان أو ذمة أو معاهدة، أما إذا كان حرباً لنا في حال الحرب، فلا، لا نعطيهم شيئاً, لا قليل ولا كثير، في حال الحرب؛ لأن هذا موالاة لهم، لا قليلاً ولا كثيرا، أما الزكاة لا، لا يعطاها إلا المؤلفة قلوبهم، الزكاة يعطاها المؤلفة من رؤساء العشائر، كبار القوم, الناس الذين إذا أعطوا يرجى إسلامهم، إسلام من ورائهم، يدفعون عن المسلمين الشر؛ لأنهم رؤساء وكبار وأعيان، يعطوا من الزكاة لأن الله قال جل وعلا في كتابه العظيم:
{إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاء وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ} [09:60]
المؤلفة قلوبهم يدخل فيهم المسلم والكافر، المسلم الذي هو ضعيف إيمانه من أهل البادية وغيرهم يعطى، والكافر الذي يؤلف يرجى إسلامه أو يرجى دفع شره عن المسلمين، أو إسلام من ورائه، لا بأس أن يعطى من الزكاة، أما عامتهم فلا يعطون من الزكاة ولكن يعطون من غير الزكاة؛ لأنها للفقراء .
