Sadaqah for non-Muslims: giving to zakat causes
During Ramadan, a colleague mentions that she has paid her zakat. You are not Muslim. You wonder: can I give too?
Short answer: Yes, and your gift has a name: sadaqah, voluntary charity. Zakat is a duty only for Muslims who meet its conditions, so a gift from someone who is not Muslim is never called zakat. Sadaqah is open to everyone, at any time, for anyone in need: the poor, the needy, people in debt and stranded travellers.
If you are Muslim and want to know how much zakat is due on your savings, use the free zakat calculator. It runs on your device and sends nothing.
Zakat and sadaqah: two ways of giving
Muslims give in two ways. Zakat is a yearly duty, with a set rate (usually 2.5% on savings), a set date and eight named groups of recipients (Quran 9:60). Sadaqah is voluntary: any amount, any day, for anyone in need. Muslims give both.
The classical schools treat being Muslim as one of the conditions of zakat. So zakat is not asked of people of other faiths, and a gift from someone who is not Muslim is sadaqah, never zakat.
The causes belong to everyone
Quran 9:60 names 8 groups who receive zakat. Several of them are needs that anyone can see in any city:
| Zakat group | The need in plain words |
|---|---|
| The poor and the needy | Families without enough for food, rent or school |
| People in debt | People who cannot repay what they owe, for example a family facing eviction |
| The stranded traveller | Someone far from home with no way back, for example a worker without a ticket |
Our article on who can receive zakat lists all 8 groups.
Our fixed wording
Zakat is an obligation on Muslims who meet its conditions. If you are not Muslim and these causes speak to you, you are welcome to give to them too: to the poor, the needy, people in debt and stranded travellers, in the same spirit. That gift is sadaqah: voluntary charity, open to everyone. We never call it zakat.
What does the Quran say about kindness to all?
Three verses are often quoted on this. Their Arabic text is at the end of this article.
- Quran 60:8 says God does not stop believers from being kind and fair to people who have not fought them over their faith.
- Quran 76:8 praises people who give food to the needy, the orphan and the captive. Ibn Kathir reports from Ibn 'Abbas and al-Hasan that the captives at that time were from the idolaters.
- Quran 2:177 describes goodness as giving money, though you love it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, travellers and those who ask.
Voluntary charity (sadaqah) may be given to anyone in need who is not at war with Muslims; this is widely held in the schools (al-Nawawi, al-Majmu'; Ibn Qudamah, al-Mughni), citing Quran 60:8 and 76:8. Helping people in need is honoured in Islam. We do not speak about reward for any giver: that is a question of faith, for scholars.
A bridge between cultures
Every culture carries a gift of its own. One family keeps a share of its savings for the poor; another feeds the neighbour first; another gives a tenth, or quietly pays a stranger's debt. When each culture offers the best of what it has, giving becomes a bridge, and the people on both sides of it come to know each other.
Your colleague's zakat and your sadaqah can meet at the same door: a family that needs food, rent or a ticket home.
Can non-Muslims receive zakat?
This is a separate question, and scholars differ. We show the main views in order, the majority first, and do not choose between them.
| Question | View | Who holds it |
|---|---|---|
| Obligatory zakat on wealth | It goes to Muslims in need | The majority of the four schools. Ibn al-Mundhir reported agreement that zakat on wealth is not given to a non-Muslim citizen (dhimmi); Ibn Qudamah quotes him in al-Mughni |
| Exception: "those whose hearts are being won over" (Quran 9:60) | The Maliki and Hanbali schools include non-Muslims in this group; the Shafi'i school limits it to Muslims; the Hanafi school holds that the share has ended | |
| A poor non-Muslim may receive it | A minority view: reported from al-Zuhri and Ibn Sirin, and the Hanafi Zufar (reported by al-Sarakhsi, al-Mabsut, who rejects it); among moderns, al-Qaradawi (Fiqh al-Zakah) calls the claimed consensus disputed | |
| Zakat al-fitr (the small Eid payment) | May be given to a peaceful non-Muslim | Abu Hanifa and Muhammad (also reported from al-Zuhri) |
| It goes to Muslims | Malik, al-Shafi'i, Ahmad and, in one report, Abu Yusuf | |
| The later Hanafi fatwa follows Abu Yusuf's view | Later Hanafi texts (al-Durr al-Mukhtar) | |
| Voluntary charity (sadaqah) | May be given to anyone in need who is not at war with Muslims | Widely held in the schools (al-Nawawi, al-Majmu'; Ibn Qudamah, al-Mughni), citing Quran 60:8 and 76:8 |
Compiled from cited sources; ask a scholar you trust for your own case.
Words that fit
| Say | Avoid | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "My sadaqah, given in the same spirit" | "Non-Muslims can pay zakat too" | Zakat is a duty with conditions, for Muslims |
| "Supporting the same causes" | "Your gift counts as zakat" | It does not settle anyone's zakat |
| "Helping people in need is honoured in Islam" | Any promise of a spiritual reward | That is a question of faith, not ours to answer |
Giving across faiths: real examples
Muslim and non-Muslim groups already work side by side on the same causes. We name these as examples, not recommendations:
- Islamic Relief and the Lutheran World Federation signed a memorandum of understanding in Geneva in 2014. The LWF called it the first official cooperation between a global Christian and a global Islamic aid organisation. It was renewed in 2017.
- Sadaqa Day and Mitzvah Day in the UK. Sadaqa Day, a Muslim-led day of social action, began in 2015 and was modelled on the Jewish-led Mitzvah Day. The two have run joint projects. Arabic sadaqa and Hebrew tzedakah come from the same Semitic root, linked to truthfulness and righteousness.
Many traditions have a habit of giving a fixed share. We note the common ground and do not rank anyone.
Does Mustahaqat collect zakat or sadaqah?
No. Mustahaqat does not collect or pass on zakat or sadaqah. We explain and calculate only.
Your colleague settled a duty. You can share in the same good, freely: her zakat, your sadaqah, the same hungry family helped.
Read next
- Zakat vs sadaqa: the clear difference
- Who can receive zakat? The 8 categories
- Zakat and the economy: what economists say
Work it out
The zakat calculator shows both nisab views side by side and keeps your figures on your device. Then see the official bodies on where to pay zakat.
Please note
This article explains zakat and sadaqah for general learning. It is not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a scholar you trust or your country's zakat authority. Mustahaqat does not collect or pass on zakat or sadaqah.
هذا المقال للتعريف العام بالزكاة والصدقة، وليس فتوى. لحالتك الخاصة اسأل عالِماً تثق به أو جهة الزكاة الرسمية في بلدك. موقع مستحقات لا يجمع الزكاة ولا الصدقات ولا يوصلها.
Compiled from cited sources; ask a scholar you trust for your own case. This is not a fatwa. Drafted with AI help and checked against the sources listed. Sami Adham is a professional name, not a scholar or mufti.
Quran cited
﴿لَّا يَنْهَىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَـٰرِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُقْسِطِينَ﴾ [60:8]Meaning (our own wording): God does not stop you from being kind and fair to those who have not fought you over your faith or driven you from your homes. God loves those who are fair.
﴿وَيُطْعِمُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا﴾ [76:8]Meaning (our own wording): They give food, though they love it themselves, to the needy, the orphan and the captive.
﴿۞ لَّيْسَ ٱلْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ ٱلْمَشْرِقِ وَٱلْمَغْرِبِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلْبِرَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينَ وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَـٰهَدُوا۟ ۖ وَٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ فِى ٱلْبَأْسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ ٱلْبَأْسِ ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ﴾ [2:177]Meaning (our own wording): Goodness is not turning your face to the east or the west. Goodness is to believe in God, the Last Day, the angels, the Book and the prophets; to give money, though you love it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveller and those who ask, and to free people from bondage; to pray and pay zakat; to keep a promise once made; and to stay patient in poverty, illness and danger. These are the truthful, and these are the ones who fear God.
Sources
- Quran 60:8 on quran.com (Arabic text and translations)
- Quran 76:8 on quran.com (Arabic text and translations)
- Quran 2:177 on quran.com (Arabic text and translations)
- Quran 9:60 on quran.com (Arabic text and translations)
- Tanzil Project: Quran text (Uthmani) and licence
- IslamOnline fiqh overview: giving zakah to non-Muslims (views, incl. the Hanafi view on zakat al-fitr)
- IslamQA 182393 (cites Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Qudamah and al-Sarakhsi on zakat to non-Muslims)
- Lutheran World Federation: LWF and Islamic Relief sign memorandum of understanding (2014)
- Islamic Relief: partnership with the Lutheran World Federation renewed (2017)
- Jewish News: Muslim-led social action day launched, Sadaqa Day
Corrections
- : Review: the sadaqa / tzedakah note now says the shared Semitic root is linked to truthfulness and righteousness (the Arabic root means truthfulness).
- : Reframed around sadaqah: a non-Muslim's gift is sadaqah, never zakat. Source review: the 76:8 captives note is attributed (Ibn Kathir, from Ibn Abbas and al-Hasan); the non-Muslim recipient views are set out school by school, with the minority named; zakat al-fitr views include Abu Yusuf and the later Hanafi fatwa; one strength word for sadaqah.