Rabia bin Harith and Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib got together and said, "By Allah, if we sent these two boys," meaning me and Fadl bin Abbas, "to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to speak with him, perhaps he would appoint them to collect these charitable donations, so that they could fulfill what others fulfill and benefit as others benefit."While they were discussing this, Ali bin Abu Talib came along and stood with them. They mentioned the matter to him, and Ali bin Abu Talib said, "Do not do it. By Allah, he will not do this."Rabia bin Harith turned on him and said, "By Allah, you are only doing this out of envy toward us. By Allah, you obtained the honor of marrying into the family of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and we did not envy you for it."Ali said, "Send them then."So the two of us went off, and Ali lay down.When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had finished the noon prayer, we hurried ahead of him to his chamber and stood beside it until he came. He took us by our ears and said, "Out with what you are concealing." Then he entered, and we entered after him. He was at that time with Zaynab bint Jahsh.We each deferred to the other to speak, then one of us spoke up and said, "Messenger of Allah, you are the most righteous of people and the most attentive to family ties. We have reached the age of marriage, and we have come so that you might appoint us over some of these charitable donations, so that we may deliver to you what others deliver and benefit as others benefit."He remained silent for a long while, until we wanted to speak to him again. Zaynab began signaling to us from behind the curtain not to speak to him.Then he said, "Charity is not lawful for the family of Muhammad. It is merely the dirt of the people. Call Mahmiyah for me," who was in charge of the fifth, "and Nawfal bin Harith bin Abdul-Muttalib."They came to him, and he said to Mahmiyah, "Marry your daughter to this boy," meaning Fadl bin Abbas. So he married her to him.He said to Nawfal bin Harith, "Marry your daughter to this boy," meaning me. So he married her to me.Then he said to Mahmiyah, "Pay their dowries from the fifth, such-and-such an amount."
اجتمع ربيعة بن الحارث والعباس بن عبد المطلب، فقالا: والله لو بعثنا هذين الغلامين (قالا لي وللفضل بن عباس) إلى رسول الله ﷺ، فكلماه، فأمرهما على هذه الصدقات، فأديا ما يؤدي الناس، وأصابا مما يصيب الناس قال: فبينما هما في ذلك جاء علي بن أبي طالب فوقف عليهما، فذكرا له ذلك، فقال علي بن أبي طالب: لا تفعلا فوالله ما هو بفاعل. فانتحاه ربيعة بن الحارث، فقال: والله ما تصنع هذا إلا نفاسة منك علينا، فوالله! لقد نلت صهر رسول الله ﷺ، فما نفسناه عليك. قال علي: أرسلوهما. فانطلقا واضطجع على. قال: فلما صلى رسول الله ﷺ الظهر سبقناه إلى الحجرة، فقمنا عندها حتى جاء، فأخذ بآذاننا. ثم قال: أخرجا ما تصرران ثم دخل، ودخلنا عليه وهو يومئذ عند زينب بنت جحش، قال: فتواكلنا الكلام، ثم تكلم أحدنا، فقال: يا رسول الله! أنت أبر الناس، وأوصل الناس، وقد بلغنا النكاح، فجئنا لتؤمرنا على بعض هذه الصدقات، فنؤدي إليك كما يؤدي الناس، ونصيب كما يصيبون. قال: فسكت طويلا حتى أردنا أن نكلمه. قال: وجعلت زينب تلمع علينا من وراء الحجاب أن لا تكلماه. قال: ثم قال: إن الصدقة لا تنبغى لآل محمد. إنما هى أوساخ الناس ادعوا لي محمية (وكان على الخمس) ونوفل بن الحارث بن عبد المطلب. قال فجاءاه، فقال لمحمية: أنكح هذا الغلام ابنتك للفضل بن عباس، فأنكحه. وقال لنوفل بن الحارث: أنكح هذا الغلام ابنتك لي، فأنكحني، وقال لمحمية: أصدق عنهما من الخمس كذا وكذا.
Muslim narrated it in the Book of Zakat (1072) from Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Asma Dubai, who said, Juwayriyah related to us, from Malik, from Zuhri, that Abdullah bin Abdullah bin Nawfal bin Harith bin Abdul-Muttalib related to him, that Abdul-Muttalib bin Rabia bin Harith related to him, and he mentioned it.This applies when jihad is ongoing, and they have a right to a share of the khumus that reaches them, suffices them, and enriches them. But if this source is unavailable, and some of them need money and find nothing but zakat funds, it is permissible for them to take it. This is the view of Judge Yaqub of the Hanbalis, Abu Yusuf of the Hanafis, and Istakhri of the Shafiis, and it is the position chosen by Sheikh Islam bin Taymiya, as stated in al-Fatawa al-Kubra (5/374). Some scholars even said that giving zakat to them is more fitting than giving it to others, because of the Prophet's ﷺ instruction to treat them well.As for His saying, "and those whose hearts are to be reconciled" [Tawbah 9:60], they are the fourth category of those entitled to charity. These are divided into several groups.First, disbelievers whose conversion to Islam is hoped for, when something appears from them indicating that.Second, disbelievers whose harm is feared.Third, those who have entered Islam but are weak, so they are given from the charity funds to strengthen them in their religion and faith.Fourth, those who have entered Islam and are tribal chiefs and nobles, so they are given from the charity funds to win over their people and to encourage others like them to enter Islam.As for the claim of those who say that the share for those whose hearts are to be reconciled has lapsed and fallen away, this may have been true in their time and era, when Islam was dominant and the Muslims had strength and power. Today, however, we are in dire need of this share to relieve the pressure on Muslims because of the dominance of disbelievers and polytheists, especially for those who enter Islam or whose conversion is hoped for, as Ahmad said, they are given if the Muslims need that.