Zakat for Political Advocacy:
A Misapplication of al-Mu'allafa Qulūbuhum

Introduction

The Ummah is no stranger to difficulties and challenges. However, the past few years have been particularly heartbreaking, given the unspeakable pain and suffering inflicted upon our brothers and sisters in Gaza. Against the backdrop of this tragedy, and in an effort to exhaust every avenue of assistance, some have argued for the permissibility of giving zakat to politicians to fund their campaigns with the stated aim of positively influencing foreign policy to save lives, prevent tragedies, and advance causes beneficial to the Ummah. Since such politicians would generally be non-Muslim candidates seeking office, a parallel is drawn with the claim that non-Muslim tribal chieftains were given wealth by the Prophet ﷺ.

While the concern is noble, the solutions must be effective and remain within the boundaries of Sharia. Trying to resolve the Gaza issue by diverting zakat funds to non-Muslim politicians raises three key objections:

1. it is impermissible in the view of the majority of jurists;
2. analogizing non-Muslim chieftains of the past to modern-day politicians is erroneous (al-qiyās maʿa al-fāriq); and
3. the purported benefits are speculative, while the practical challenges created are definitive.


[Download the PDF to read the full article.]