Az-Zakah is Obligatory upon Whom?

Az-Zakah is obligatory upon the Wealth of the Child and the Adult

Question :

I am a young man who is seventeen years old. I live with my family and my father spends on me. I have some money saved in an Islamic bank and it has been there for a year. Is there any Zakah due upon me regarding it? Is there any Zakah due on business profits? Does (the responsibility of) Az-Zakah begin from the age of puberty?

Answer:

Az-Zakah is obligatory upon the wealth that is liable for Az-Zakah, which is livestock animals, the two curren- cies (i.e., gold and silver), that which is produced from the earth (grain and fruit) and merchandise for sale. It makes no difference if the owner of these things is a minor (i.e., child) or an adult. Thus, Az-Zakah is obligatory upon the orphan just as it is obligatory upon the adult. The guardian pays it on the child's behalf. Az-Zakah is obligatory upon business profits, even if the profit is less than the minimum amount required, if the original amount (before the profit) had reached the minimum requirement. And Allâh knows best.

Az-Zakah is obligatory on the Wealth of the Orphan and the Insane

Question :

Is Az-Zakah obligatory on the wealth of the orphan and the insane?

Answer:

Az-Zakah is obligatory on the wealth of each of them, if the person is a free Muslim who has complete ownership of his wealth. This is due to what Ad-Daraqutni narrated that was reported as a statement of the Prophet:
"Whoever is made the guardian over the wealth of an orphan, let him do business with it and he should not leave it to be devoured by charity (i.e., Az-Zakah)."

This is also due to what Malik narrated in Al-Muwatta' from 'Abdur-Rahman bin Al-Qasim from his father, that he said: "A'ishah used to keep me and my brother as two orphans in her apartment, and she used to pay Az-Zakah from our wealth." The view that Az-Zakah is obligatory upon the wealth of each of them (the orphan and insane person) was held by 'Ali, Ibn 'Umar, Jabir, 'A'ishah and Al-Hasan bin 'Ali. Ibn Al-Munthir related this from them.

Az-Zakah of Wealth Az-Zakah on the monthly Salary

Question :

I am an employee of a private company and I receive a monthly salary of four thousand Saudi riyals. This includes an allowance for housing rent, which is one thousand Saudi riyals. Am I obligated to pay any Zakah from this salary of mine? What is the amount of this Zakah? This is also in consideration of the fact that I do not have any other source of income that I spend from.

Answer:

Whenever you have some savings from your monthly salary that is more than what you need for your personal expenditures, then Az-Zakah is due on it. This is after the savings reach the minimum amount required for Az-Zakah, which is approximately four hundred Saudi riyals from the present currency. Also, this minimum amount must be possessed for a complete year. So, if you save some money every month from your salary, it is safer and easier that you make a designated month every year during which you pay Az-Zakah of what you saved that year and whatever you had from before it. The obligatory portion to be paid is one fortieth, i.e., 2.5%. And Allâh is the Giver of success.

Az-Zakah on Wealth that is kept for Marriage

Question :

A man saved some money for his son over a number of years so that the son can get married. Is he obligated to pay any Zakah on this wealth of his? This is in consideration of the fact that he does not intend anything with this money other than getting his son married.

Answer:

He must pay Az-Zakah on all of the money that he saved if it was in his possession for a year, even if he intended to use this money to get his son married. This is because as long as the money was with him it was considered his possession, and he must pay its Zakah every year until it is used for the marriage. This is due to the generality of the evidences from the Book and the Sunnah that prove this.

Question :

I am currently an employee in one of the governmental departments and I receive approximately four thousand riyals per month. In approximately one year, I collected seventeen thousand riyals. This money is currently in the bank and it does not increase (i.e., from interest or investment). I am ready to spend it in the month of Shawwal - if Allâh wills - as I am getting married. I am going to take a loan that is many times more than this amount to cover the expenses of the wedding. My question is: Am I obligated to pay any Zakah on this seventeen thousand? This is while considering that it has been in my possession for about a year. If there is Az-Zakah due on it, how much is it?

Answer:

Az-Zakah is due on the mentioned sum of money if it was possessed for a year, even if it was being kept for marriage. The amount of Zakah that is due is one fortieth, i.e., 2.5%. And Allâh knows best.

Az-Zakah is obligatory on the initial Sum and the Interest gained

Question :

As is well known regarding Az-Zakah on wealth, it is that which a man pays from his wealth that he has possessed for a year, like wealth from business, harvests, gold and silver. However, we would like to know what is Az-Zakah on the wealth that is placed in an Islamic bank if it reaches the minimum amount. Is it the percentage gained (on the account) itself? Also, it should be known that the percentage of interest from this bank is very small.

Answer:

The money that is placed in the Islamic bank has the same ruling as any other type of wealth. Az-Zakah is due on it if it is possessed for a year along with its profit gained. The Zakah is 2.5% on the original sum and the profit gained.

Az-Zakah is due on whatever Wealth is owned a year and reaches the minimum amount

Question :

A person saved a sum of money from his own earnings. Most of it he possessed for a year, but he spent it on some things that would bring benefit to himself. Therefore, he asks whether it is obligatory for him to pay Az-Zakah on it.

Answer:

Whatever wealth he saved and owned for a year while it had reached the minimum required amount, then Az- Zakah is due on it. This is the case even if he spent some of it after that on marriage or anything similar. If he did not pay the Zakah of his wealth which was due upon, then it still is due from him and he is responsible for it. It is incumbent upon him to pay it. However, what he did not possess for a year of his wealth due to his spending from it before a year's time, then there is no Zakah due on it.

Az-Zakah on Wealth that is being saved

Question :

Is Az-Zakah due on money that is saved from the monthly salary that has been possessed for a year, even though it is not for investment? This is in consideration of the fact that I save it to cover the living expenses of my family and myself. In this situation is Az-Zakah due?

Answer:

Yes, Az-Zakah is obligatory on this wealth if it is possessed for a year, because that which Az-Zakah is due upon, does not have a condition that it must be for business. For this reason Az-Zakah is obligatory on fruits and grains, even though a person may not use them for business. Even if a man had date palm trees in his house, for example, and their harvest reached the minimum amount, and he planned to use it for his personal spending, he must pay Az-Zakah on the fruit of these trees. We say the same thing regarding the crops and other things from that which Az-Zakah is obligatory upon. Likewise, regarding the livestock animals that graze in the fields. Az-Zakah is obligatory on them even if the person (the owner) does not intend to use them for business. The case is the same concerning the money on which Az-Zakah is due, even if the person does not intend to use it for business. The salary that a person keeps for spending, Az-Zakah is due on it if it is possessed for a year and it reaches the minimum required amount.

However, there is an issue here that causes problems for many of the people, and it is concerning the money that comes from the monthly salary or from utilizing a house or a shop from which one receives monthly rent or whatever is similar to that. Then the person takes this money and keeps it with him in his box or some other means of saving. Then you find that he takes (some money) from it and adds to it, so then he becomes confused as to what amount he has had for a year, and what amount he has not had for a year. We say that in this situation, if during the entire year the balance has not decreased to less than the minimum amount, it is better to consider the year from the first time the savings reached the minimum amount. Then the person should pay Az-Zakah on what he has once a year is completed. In this way, on whatever amount a year has completed he will have paid its Zakah for its year, and on whatever amount of it a year had not completed, its Zakah will be paid in advance, and there is no harm in paying Az-Zakah early. This method is easier for him than him considering each month precisely, because that may be difficult for him.

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