My saalams. I am interested to know about payment of Zakht outside our country or in a non Muslim state. As I live in Canada now and I feel I should show allegiance to the nation that supports me, may I be able to pay part of my Zakth here or do I have to pay to a muslim/nation only? For example there are many hospitals here which help to treat any child regardless of any background.. I would like to pay monthly something.. as may be some day my child may need assisstance from them. I receive information from different sources and was opting to send the cash home for payment but I believe that the nation that is supporting me now does have some obligation from my side to be fullfilled, as I want to respect the nation that I am in( or it would be nimak harami on my side!!). Plus if you are not earning that much but to the sustainable level.. am I obligated to pay all the money or as much as I can afford annually. Would you mind reply to my query. It is very urgent. Allah hafez

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

In principle Zakat should be paid to the poor in the place in which the money is and that it should not be transferred to another country as the Prophet said to Mu'aath when he sent him to Yemen inviting the people to Islam: “Inform them that Allaah ordained them to pay Zakat which should be taken from the rich amongst them and be distributed on the poor amongst them.” For more benefit on the ruling of transferring Zakat from one country to another, please refer to Fatwa 86788.

We have already issued Fataawa 82875 and 87316 clarifying the ruling of paying the Zakat to non-Muslims, and Fataawa 87294 and 90919 clarifying that it is not permissible to pay Zakat to hospitals even if they are hospitals for Muslims; so please refer to these Fataawa.

However, it is permissible to give optional charity to hospitals or to non-Muslims. Therefore, if you wish to give optional charity to hospitals or to a non-Muslim, or to other public benefits, you may do so. Nonetheless, it should be noted that loyalty, which is supporting and loving, is only for Allaah, His Prophet and for the believers. Allaah Says (what means): {And whoever is an ally of Allaah and His Messenger and those who have believed — indeed, the party of        Allaah—they will be the predominant.}[Quran 5:56].

Hence, it is not permissible for a Muslim to be an ally to the non-Muslims or to harbor compassionate feelings towards them even though they might have been generous to him because the sin of disbelieving in Allaah Who is the real Sustainer and Provider, is much greater than any good deed that a non-Muslim may do to a Muslim. Allaah Says (what means): {O you who have believed, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection while they have disbelieved in what came to you of the truth, having driven out the Prophet and yourselves [only] because you believe in Allaah, your Lord.}[Quran 60:1].

Indeed, we have a good example in the Prophet Ibraaheem (Abraham) when his father persisted on disbelief and when it became clear to him that he was an enemy to Allaah, he declared himself free from his own father. Allaah Says (what means): {But when it became apparent to him [i.e. Abraham] that he [i.e. the father] was an enemy to Allaah, he disassociated himself from him}[Quran 9:114]. That is because the disbelief of his father in Allaah is greater than him taking care of Ibraaheem .

Therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim to love, support or be inclined towards the non-Muslims as Allaah Says (what means): {And do not incline toward those who do wrong lest you be touched by the Fire.}[Quran 11:113]. However, this does not mean that a Muslim should mistreat them, rather a Muslim who lives in non-Muslim countries should deal kindly with the non-Muslims so that he would show to them the merits of Islam. Allaah Says (what means): {Allaah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes — from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allaah loves those who act justly.}[Quran 60:8].

For more benefit on the ruling of residing in a non-Muslim country, please refer to Fatwa 86405, and to Fatwa 85335 on when it is obligatory on a Muslim to pay Zakat.

Allaah Knows best.