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How to pay Az-Zakah on Wealth
How to pay Az-Zakah
Question :
An employee saves various amounts of money from his monthly salary. One month the savings may be less and another month the savings may be more. Some of it he may have had for a year and some he has not had for a year. He does not know the amount of what he has saved each month, so how does he give its Zakah?
Another employee receives a monthly salary and keeps in a storage place (i.e., a safe or cash box) with him all that he receives. He spends from these savings on a daily basis during times that are fairly close together, like expenditures for his house, his personal needs and other things in various amounts depending on the need. How is the year calculated for what is being saved in the storage (i.e., the safe) and how is Az-Zakah to be paid in this situation? This is while knowing that his cash savings, as we have mentioned, are not entirely in his possession for a year.
Answer:
Since both the questions are the same in meaning and they have similar aspects, the Committee decided to answer with a comprehensive answer that is inclusive (of both situations) for the sake of benefit. The answer is as follows. Whoever owns the minimum amount of cash (for Az-Zakah), then he gets more cash on top of it at various times that is not produced from the first sum of money nor did it originate from it; rather, it is independent of it. This is like what the employee saves monthly from his salary, inheritance, a gift, or rental payment received from real-estate property, for example. If the person intends to have a thorough examination of his right, and he is concerned with only paying the people who deserve charity that which is obligatory for them of Az-Zakah from his wealth, then he must make a chart to calculate his earnings. This chart must specify every amount from the likes of these amounts mentioned on a yearly system that begins from the day he took possession of it. Then he must pay Az-Zakah on every amount separately. This is done every time a year passes on any wealth in his possession from the date that he took possession of it.
If he wants ease and to traverse upon the path of generosity, and his soul feels good about giving preference to the poor people and others who are recipients of Az-Zakah over himself, then he should pay Az-Zakah on all the cash he possesses. He pays this whenever a year passes on the first sum that reached the minimum amount that he possesses. This is greater in reward, more elevating for his status, better for his ease, and more mindful regarding the rights of the poor and the needy and other recipients of Az-Zakah. Whatever is more than what is obligatory upon him regarding what he gave of Az-Zakah, and he intends generosity and kindness with it, being thankful to Allâh for His favors and abundant gifts, and hoping that He will increase His Bounty on him, then that is better. This is as Allâh said:
"If you are grateful, then verily I will give you more." And Allâh is the Giver of success.
Paying Az-Zakah in advance is permissible
Question :
I am an employee who receives a salary, and every month I save a portion of it. There is not a specific percentage for the savings, so how do I pay the Zakah of this wealth?
Answer:
What is obligatory upon you is to pay the Zakah of every amount that you save if you have possessed it for a year. If you pay the Zakah of all of the money when a year has passed on the first amount that was saved, then that is sufficient. In this way, the Zakah of the latter sums is considered as being paid in advance before the completion of their year., And paying Az- Zakah in advance before it is possessed for a complete year is permissible, especially if there is a need for it or a religious benefit in that.
Source:
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 3 Pages 163-164-165
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