SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 272

لَّيۡسَ عَلَيۡكَ هُدَٮٰهُمۡ وَلَـٰڪِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَهۡدِى مَن يَشَآءُ‌ۗ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنۡ خَيۡرٍ۬ فَلِأَنفُسِڪُمۡ‌ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُونَ إِلَّا ٱبۡتِغَآءَ وَجۡهِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ وَمَا تُنفِقُواْ مِنۡ خَيۡرٍ۬ يُوَفَّ إِلَيۡڪُمۡ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تُظۡلَمُونَ۔

"IT IS NOT FOR YOU TO PUT THEM ON THE RIGHT PATH. RATHER, ALLAH PUTS ON THE RIGHT PATH WHOM HE WILLS. AND WHATEVER GOOD YOU SPEND IS FOR YOUR OWN SELVES, AND YOU SHALL NOT SPEND BUT TO SEEK THE PLEASURE OF ALLAH. AND WHATEVER GOOD YOU SPEND, SHALL BE PAID TO YOU IN FULL, AND YOU SHALL NOT BE WRONGED."

It has been clarified in this verse that a Sadaqah given to a non-Muslim also carries a reward in the next life. The background of this verse is that some Holy Companions (Sahaba) did not give Sadaqah to non-Muslims believing that it may lead to them accepting Islam. This verse says that it is not the duty of the Holy Prophet ﷺ to make someone accept Islam, his job is only to convey the message. It is only Allah Ta'alah who can make people accept Islam, and that is why Allah Ta'alah has said in this verse that people should not abstain from giving Sadaqah and Khayrat (charity) to non-Muslims for the above reason. When a Muslim spends in the way of Allah his/her intention should solely be to please Allah Ta'alah. Just like Muslims are Allah's creations, non-Muslims are also Allah's creations. Just like one would earn thawab (reward) and Allah's pleasure by giving Sadaqah to a Muslim, in exactly the same way one would earn thawab and Allah's pleasure by giving Sadaqah to a non-Muslim. When Allah Ta'alah has not differentiated between the two then why should we observe this difference that we give Sadaqah with the intention of earning Allah's pleasure to a needy Muslim, but not a needy non-Muslim.

It is important to understand here that this verse relates to Nafl (voluntary) Sadaqah, and not obligatory Sadaqah like Zakat, which is the right of a poor Muslim meeting certain criteria. These conditions of Zakat pertain not only to non-Muslims but also to Muslims in certain categories, for example, husband and wife cannot give Zakat to each other, and there are certain other categories and situations when it is not allowed to give Zakat to a Muslim.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Rehmatullah Elaih