29th January 2026
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
Question: If I lent money out to a relative 10 years ago, I still haven’t received it back. I don’t know when I’ll get it back, as there’s no date stipulated. Must I still pay Zakāt on it over the years until he gives it or not? Also, if he happens to return it, then must I still pay Zakāt over the previous years too?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
As a general principal, the creditor is obliged to pay Zakāt on the money he lends since he still maintains ownership of the money (even if he does not yet physically possess it) irrespective of the number of years.[1] The Zakāt due upon him can either be paid altogether at once when he receives the money, or he can pay yearly on the amount owed to him.[2] If he pays yearly, he will deduct 2.5% of the amount he lent each year until that money is returned. If he pays altogether, then he will deduct the amount the Zakāt due on him each year.[3]
Based on the above, if you lent money to a relative 10 years ago and have still not received the money back, then so long as they acknowledge that they owe you and promise to pay you, you are still obliged to pay Zakāt on the amount that you are owed. Since there is no date stipulated and you are not aware when you will receive the money back, you could either pay Zakāt yearly on the amount lent or choose to pay once the money is returned (see footnote 3 on how to calculate Zakāt on previous years). The same ruling will apply if he does happen to return the money, back to you.
If, however, the debtor refuses to acknowledge any debt owed to you or there is no way of retrieving that money and lose all hope of gaining access to it then the Zakāt of the previous years now drops because it is outside of your ownership.
Allāh Knows Best
Written by: Apa Kinza Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] [Bahru Raaiq sharh kanz dqaa’iq, zayn deen ibn nujaym, kitab zakah, sharth wujub zakah, vol 2, pge 223]
قَسَّمَ أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ الدَّيْنَ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ أَقْسَامٍ: قَوِيٌّ، وَهُوَ بَدَلُ الْقَرْضِ، وَمَالُ التِّجَارَةِ، وَمُتَوَسِّطٌ، وَهُوَ بَدَلُ مَا لَيْسَ لِلتِّجَارَةِ كَثَمَنِ ثِيَابِ الْبِذْلَةِ وَعَبْدِ الْخِدْمَةِ وَدَارِ السُّكْنَى، وَضَعِيفٌ، وَهُوَ بَدَلُ مَا لَيْسَ بِمَالٍ كَالْمَهْرِ وَالْوَصِيَّةِ، وَبَدَلِ الْخُلْعِ وَالصُّلْحِ عَنْ دَمِ الْعَمْدِ وَالدِّيَةِ، وَبَدَلِ الْكِتَابَةِ وَالسِّعَايَةِ فَفِي الْقَوِيِّ تَجِبُ الزَّكَاةُ إذَا حَالَ الْحَوْلُ، وَيَتَرَاخَى الْقَضَاءُ إلَى أَنْ يَقْبِضَ أَرْبَعِينَ دِرْهَمًا فَفِيهَا دِرْهَمٌ، وَكَذَا فِيمَا زَادَ بِحِسَابِهِ، وَفِي الْمُتَوَسِّطِ لَا تَجِبُ مَا لَمْ يَقْبِضْ نِصَابًا، وَيُعْتَبَرُ لِمَا مَضَى مِنْ الْحَوْلِ فِي صَحِيحِ الرِّوَايَةِ، وَفِي الضَّعِيفِ لَا تَجِبُ مَا لَمْ يَقْبِضْ نِصَابًا وَيَحُولُ الْحَوْلُ بَعْدَ الْقَبْضِ عَلَيْهِ،
[2] [Badai’u sanai’i fi tarteeb shari, imam al kasaani, kitab zakah, fasl sharaithu fardiyyatu zakah, vol 2, pge 10]
وَقَالَ أَبُو يُوسُفَ وَمُحَمَّدٌ: الدُّيُونُ كُلُّهَا سَوَاءٌ، وَكُلُّهَا قَوِيَّةٌ تَجِبُ الزَّكَاةُ فِيهَا قَبْلَ الْقَبْضِ إلَّا الدِّيَةَ عَلَى الْعَاقِلَةِ وَمَالَ الْكِتَابَةِ فَإِنَّهُ لَا تَجِبُ الزَّكَاةُ فِيهَا أَصْلًا مَا لَمْ تُقْبَضْ وَيَحُولُ عَلَيْهَا الْحَوْلُ.
وَجْهُ قَوْلِهِمَا أَنَّ مَا سِوَى بَدَلِ الْكِتَابَةِ وَالدِّيَةِ عَلَى الْعَاقِلَةِ مِلْكُ صَاحِبِ الدَّيْنِ مِلْكًا مُطْلَقًا رَقَبَةً وَيَدًا؛ لِتَمَكُّنِهِ مِنْ الْقَبْضِ بِقَبْضِ بَدَلِهِ وَهُوَ الْعَيْنُ فَتَجِبُ فِيهِ الزَّكَاةُ كَسَائِرِ الْأَعْيَانِ الْمَمْلُوكَةِ مِلْكًا مُطْلَقًا إلَّا أَنَّهُ لَا يُخَاطَبُ بِالْأَدَاءِ لِلْحَالِ
[3] For more details on how a creditor must calculate Zakāt on previous years, click the link below.
https://jknfatawa.co.uk/how-should-a-creditor-calculate-zakat-on-the-previous-years/