Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (6/15)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

belongs to the one who sold him, unless the buyer stipulates otherwise.” (1)

Thus, his saying, “his wealth”—that is, the wealth in his possession—“belongs to the one who sold him,” means that it does not belong to the slave himself. He is therefore like a poor person who possesses no wealth, and there is unanimous agreement that zakah is not obligatory upon the poor.

As for the Prophet’s saying, peace and blessings be upon him, “who possesses wealth,” the preposition in “possesses” denotes association or possession, just as one says that a riding animal has a saddle. Thus, this does not contradict what we have established.

Islam, the opposite of which is disbelief. Zakah is not obligatory upon a disbeliever, whether he is an apostate or an original disbeliever, because zakah is a purification. Allah, Most High, says:

“Take from their wealth a charity by which you purify them.” [al-Tawbah 9:103]

The disbeliever is impure; even if he were to spend an earthful of gold, he would not be purified until he repents from his disbelief.

As for Allah’s saying:

“Woe to the polytheists—those who do not give zakah.”

What is meant here, according to most scholars, is the purification of the soul, due to Allah’s saying:

“Successful indeed is the one who purifies it.” [al-Shams 91:9]

Accordingly, the meaning of the verse is that they do not purify their souls; rather, they demean them and neglect them.

When we say that zakah is not obligatory upon the disbeliever, this does not mean that he will not be held to account for it. Rather, he will be held to account for it on the Day of Resurrection. Yet it is not obligatory upon him in the sense that we do not require him to pay it until he embraces Islam.

The evidence for this is the Prophet’s statement, peace and blessings be upon him, when he sent Mu'adh to Yemen, after mentioning monotheism and prayer: “Inform them that Allah has made charity obligatory upon them, to be taken from their wealthy and returned to their poor.” (2)

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari in the Book of Sales, chapter: “Whoever sells date palms ...” (2203); and by Muslim in the Book of Sales, chapter: “Whoever sells date palms bearing dates” (1543), on the authority of Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him. (2) Narrated by al-Bukhari in the Book of Zakat, chapter: “The obligation of zakat” (1395); and by Muslim in the Book of Faith, chapter: “Calling to the two testimonies of faith” (19).

للذي باعه إلا أن يشترطه المبتاع» (١). فقال: «ماله» أي الذي بيده «للذي باعه» أي: لا له، فيكون بمنزلة الفقير الذي ليس عنده مال، والفقير لا تجب عليه بالاتفاق. وأما قوله ﷺ: «له مال» فاللام في (له) للاختصاص، كما تقول للدابة سَرْج فلا يعارض ما قررناه. ٢ ـ الإسلام وضده الكفر فلا تجب على كافر، سواء أكان مرتداً أم أصلياً؛ لأن الزكاة طهرة، قال تعالى: ﴿خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ﴾ [التوبة: ١٠٣] والكافر نجس، فلو أنفق ملء الأرض ذهباً لم يطهر حتى يتوب من كفره. وأما قوله تعالى: ﴿وَوَيْلٌ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾ ﴿الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ﴾ فالمراد بها هنا: زكاة النفس عند أكثر العلماء؛ لقوله تعالى: ﴿قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا *﴾ [الشمس: ٩]. فيكون معنى الآية على هذا: أي لا يؤتون أنفسهم زكاتها بل يهينونها ويغفلون عنها. وإذا قلنا: إن الكافر لا تجب عليه الزكاة، فلا يعني ذلك أنه لا يحاسب عليها، بل يحاسب عليها يوم القيامة، لكنها لا تجب عليه، بمعنى أننا لا نلزمه بها حتى يسلم. ودليل ذلك قول النبي ﷺ حين بعث معاذاً إلى اليمن بعد أن ذكر التوحيد، والصلاة: «أعلمهم أن الله افترض عليهم صدقة تؤخذ من أغنيائهم، وترد على فقرائهم» (٢).

(١) أخرجه البخاري في البيوع/ باب من باع نخلاً … (٢٢٠٣)؛ ومسلم في البيوع/ باب من باع نخلاً عليها تمر (١٥٤٣) عن عبد الله بن عمر ﵄. (٢) أخرجه البخاري في الزكاة/ باب وجوب الزكاة (١٣٩٥)؛ ومسلم في الإيمان/ باب الدعاء إلى الشهادتين (١٩).