Zakat for New Muslims: Mu'allafat al-Qulub

Definition & Etymology

The Quran enumerates this category in Surah at-Tawbah (9:60): “Zakat expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakat] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the stranded traveler — an obligation [imposed] by Allah.”

“إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ فَرِيضَةً مِنَ اللَّهِ”

— Surah at-Tawbah 9:60

Classical scholars categorised the mu'allafat into two broad groups: Muslims whose faith needed strengthening (tathbīt), and non-Muslims whose hostility toward Islam was to be neutralised or whose inclination toward Islam was to be nurtured (targhīb). Sub-categories discussed by the fuqaha include: those whose Islam was recent and whose faith was still weak; tribal leaders whose conversion would bring their communities with them; those who protected Muslim border regions; and those who helped collect zakat in difficult territories.

Historical Context

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) applied this zakat category extensively, most notably after the Battle of Hunayn (8 AH / 630 CE), when enormous spoils were distributed. The Prophet gave generous shares from the zakat and war booty to leaders of newly conquered Mecca and allied tribal chiefs, including Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, his sons Mu'awiyah and Yazid, and others — causing discomfort among some Ansari companions who questioned the wisdom of giving to those whose faith was newly acquired.

The Prophet's famous reply to the Ansar — that he trusted their faith and was using wealth to win the hearts of those whose faith was less certain — encapsulates the entire rationale of this category. Strengthening the community through those whose allegiance was uncertain was viewed as a legitimate and important use of zakat funds, equivalent in communal benefit to feeding the poor.

The Great Scholarly Debate

The mu'allafat al-qulub category is one of the most actively debated topics in zakat jurisprudence. The central question: did Umar ibn al-Khattab's decision to suspend payments constitute a legal ruling still binding today, or was it a contextual administrative judgment that can be revisited when circumstances change?

“The category of mu'allafat al-qulub was not abrogated; Umar's action was a policy decision suited to his time. Today, when Muslims are minorities in many lands, when new Muslims face genuine hardship, and when hearts can be won for Islam through well-directed support, the wisdom of this category is more apparent than ever.”

— Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Fiqh az-Zakat

The Abrogation Debate — Tafsir Evidence and Madhab Positions

The question of whether mu'allafat al-qulub was abrogated — permanently removed from Islamic law — or merely suspended pending changing circumstances is one of the most precisely analysed debates in zakat jurisprudence. It turns on a fundamental question in Islamic legal theory: can the action of a Caliph constitute abrogation of a Quranic category?

The tafsir literature provides important evidence for the non-abrogation position. Maarif ul-Quran — the comprehensive Urdu tafsir by Mufti Muhammad Shafi, one of the most widely read Hanafi exegeses of the 20th century — discusses this category and acknowledges the continued validity of its purpose even if its application is contextual. Tafsir al-Qurtubi (al-Jami' li-Ahkam al-Quran), the great Maliki legal tafsir by Imam al-Qurtubi, provides an extensive analysis concluding that the category remains legally operative: its application is conditional on the existence of genuine need, not permanently extinguished by Umar's administrative decision.

Two prominent contemporary bodies have weighed in with explicit rulings. The International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), founded by Yusuf al-Qaradawi and representing scholars across the Muslim world, affirms the category is fully operative in Muslim-minority contexts. The European Council for Fatwa and Research(ECFR), which issues binding guidance for Muslims in Europe, has specifically ruled that supporting new converts in Western countries qualifies under mu'allafat al-qulub. Both bodies reason that the conditions prevailing in contemporary Europe — where Muslims are a minority, converts face social and family pressure, and Islamic communities need support to sustain themselves — precisely replicate the conditions the category was designed for.

“This category was not abrogated by the Quran or the Sunnah. Umar's decision was a contextual ruling for a specific time when Islam was powerful and entrenched. Today, when Islam needs defending through wisdom, through support for those who embrace it, and through winning hearts, this category is as relevant as it was in the time of the Prophet — peace be upon him.”

— Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Fiqh az-Zakat, vol. 2

Modern Application

The 21st century presents contexts strikingly aligned with the original purpose of this category. In Western countries where Muslims are minorities, in authoritarian states where new converts face legal or social persecution, and in interfaith environments where Islamic understanding is actively sought — the rationale for mu'allafat al-qulub is compelling.

Studies from Western Muslim communities consistently show that new converts face a cluster of interconnected challenges: family estrangement, financial disruption from the costs of transition, social isolation, and the need to rebuild a community network from scratch. In countries like the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany — where hundreds of thousands of people convert to Islam each decade — the infrastructure to support them is chronically underfunded relative to need. The mu'allafat al-qulub category provides both the theological mandate and the practical mechanism to address this gap through zakat.

How to Support New Muslims Through Zakat

For Muslims wishing to direct their zakat specifically to support new converts, there are both direct and institutional pathways. The key principle is that the assistance must genuinely serve the purpose of the category — strengthening faith or facilitating someone's transition into or toward Islam — not serve as a general welfare payment.

For a complete picture of all eight zakat categories and how to allocate zakat across them, see our Eight Zakat Categories Explained guide, or use our Zakat Calculator to determine your annual obligation.