Fatwaa ID: 989

Question:
asalamualaikum wrwb Dear Mufti Saab

If someone has pending zakat to give for past years (when she was unaware of zakat rules), is that amount which she owes in unpaid zakat taken as a “debt” and along with other loans which she owes, deducted from total zakatable assets?

for eg

if she owes total $3000 in previous years zakat…and is in the process of slowly paying it off according to her capability.

and this years zakat calculation, she owns only cash of $4000.

Will she deduct 3000 from 4000, making her zakatable amt $1000?

Answer:
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullaahi wa-barakaatuh.

We commend the sister in reference for being Allaah conscious and realizing the importance of zakaah. May Allaah Ta’aala place barakah in her wealth. In the enquired situation, the outstanding zakaah payments for the previous years are deductible from the total zakaatable assets. In the example above, the $3000 is deductible.

It should be noted that zakaah is not only on one’s cash but all zakaatable assets including savings, gold, silver, trade goods, shares and stocks, crypto, investments, etc.

And Allaah Ta’aala knows best.
Mufti Muajul I. Chowdhury
Darul Iftaa New York
https://askthemufti.us/

09/14/1444 AH – 04/05/2023 CE | AML1-7495

وصل اللهم وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى ءاله وصحبه أجمعين

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