It is narrated from Hazrat Saeed bin Jubair that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do not give zakat except to those of your own religion (Muslims). Then the verse of the Holy Qur'an from { لَیْسَ عَلَیْکَ ھُدٰھُم } to { وَ مَا تُنْفِقُوْا مِنْ خَیْرٍ یُّوَفَّ اِلَیْکُم } was revealed, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Spend your zakat on all people of religions (even non-Muslims).

Hazrat Ibn Hanfiyyah says that (in the beginning) people disliked giving zakat to the polytheists, so Allah Almighty revealed the verse of the Holy Qur'an { لَیْسَ عَلَیْکَ ھُدٰھُم }, then people started giving zakat to them (the polytheists) as well.

Hazrat Mujahid says that do not give zakat to Jews and Christians except when you find no one else besides them.

Hazrat Abu Razeen narrates that I was with Hazrat Shaqeeq bin Salamah when a polytheist prisoner passed by him, so he instructed me to give charity to him, and then recited this verse: { وَیُطْعِمُوْنَ الطَّعَامَ عَلٰی حُبِّہٖ مِسْکِیْنًا وَّیَتِیْمًا وَّاَسِیْرًا }.

Hazrat Ikrimah says: "Give them to eat (give them charity), do not give them maintenance."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Ishaq that Hazrat Abu Maisarah used to give Sadaqat al-Fitr to the reclusive Christians.

Hazrat Ikrimah says that do not give zakat alms to Jews and Christians.

Hazrat Hajjaj, Hazrat Amr bin Murrah, Hazrat Saeed bin Jubair, and Hazrat Ata state that { وَیُطْعِمُوْنَ الطَّعَامَ عَلٰی حُبِّہٖ مِسْکِیْنًا وَّیَتِیْمًا وَّاَسِیْرًا } refers to the people of the Qiblah and other polytheists.

10698 - (And from Hajjaj) (1) from Ata’:“And they give food, in spite of love for it, to the needy, the orphan, and the captive” [الإنسان: ٨] , they said: from the people of the Qiblah and others.

Hazrat Umar says that by Allah Almighty’s statement {إنَّمَا الصَّدَقَات لِلْفُقَرَائِ }, what is meant is the People of the Book of our time.