1. Lillah literally means ‘for the sake of Allah.’
2. There is one of two possibilities: a) It is your own wealth, or b) You
are distributing it on behalf of someone.
a) If it is your own wealth, you may spend it on needy non-Muslims with the
intention of gaining reward from Allah Ta’ala. This too will be considered
as Lillah. Fulfilling the needs of fellow humans is a highly meritorious
act.
b) If it is someone else’s wealth, inquire from this person what his/her
intention was. If it was his intention that it should be specifically for
Muslims, then you may not spend it on non-Muslims. If it was his/her
intention that it may also be spent on non-Muslims, you may then spend it on
non-Muslims.
If the actual donor’s intention are unclear, the safest procedure would be
to spend it only on Muslims.
and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
FATWA DEPT.