13th March 2024
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: I currently have a debt of £20,000. I have £15,000 worth of gold in my possession which I do not intend to sell off to pay of my debt. Do I still need to pay Zakāt on the gold or is it waivered due to the debt?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
Concerning your query, firstly note that there is a contemporary view about debt that immediate debts known as short-term debts; i.e. those that need to be paid back within the next 12 months can be waivered from your Zakāt calculation. As for long-term debts which do not need to be paid back within the next 12 months but after that, are not waivered and Zakāt must be paid on them. This is evident by the principle of a person who has not yet paid the mahr to his wife, if he intends on paying it within the next 12 months then it can be waivered from his Zakāt but if he intends do give it after 12 months then he must pay Zakāt on it. In your case, if the debt is to be paid off in the next 12 months, then it can be deducted from your Zakāt, but if there was an agreement of paying off your debt after 12 months then it will not be deducted from Zakāt calculation.[1] Despite of you not intending to sell your gold to pay off the debt, Islamically, gold silver and cash all fall under the same category of ruling. In other words, even by possessing gold and also being in debt in cash that overwhelms the value of gold would legally affect the Zakāt rulings on gold (or silver) and hence will be waivered if paid within 12 months that is.[2]
[Allāh Knows Best]
Written by: Maulana Hafiz Mahmud Ali Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Durrul Mukhtār wa hashiyah Ibn Ābideen Shāmi, Kitāb al-Zakāt, vol 2, p. 261
(فَارِغٍ عَنْ دَيْنٍ لَهُ مُطَالِبٌ مِنْ جِهَةِ الْعِبَادِ)
سَوَاءٌ كَانَ لِلَّهِ كَزَكَاةٍ وَخَرَاجٍ أَوْ لِلْعَبْدِ، وَلَوْ كَفَالَةً أَوْ مُؤَجَّلًا، وَلَوْ صَدَاقَ زَوْجَتِهِ الْمُؤَجَّلَ لِلْفِرَاقِ
(قَوْلُهُ أَوْ مُؤَجَّلًا إلَخْ)
عَزَاهُ فِي الْمِعْرَاجِ إلَى شَرْحِ الطَّحَاوِيِّ، وَقَالَ: وَعَنْ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ لَا يُمْنَعُ. وَقَالَ الصَّدْرُ الشَّهِيدُ: لَا رِوَايَةَ فِيهِ، وَلِكُلٍّ مِنْ الْمَنْعِ وَعَدَمِهِ وَجْهٌ.
Kasān, Badā’i Sanāi, Kitāb al-Zakāt, vol 2, p. 6
وَعَلَى هَذَا يُخْرَجُ مَهْرُ الْمَرْأَةِ فَإِنَّهُ يَمْنَعُ وُجُوبَ الزَّكَاةِ عِنْدَنَا مُعَجَّلًا كَانَ أَوْ مُؤَجَّلًا؛ لِأَنَّهَا إذَا طَالَبَتْهُ يُؤَاخَذُ بِهِ، وَقَالَ بَعْضُ مَشَايِخِنَا: إنَّ الْمُؤَجَّلَ لَا يَمْنَعُ؛ لِأَنَّهُ غَيْرُ مُطَالَبٍ بِهِ عَادَةً، فَأَمَّا الْمُعَجَّلُ فَيُطَالَبُ بِهِ عَادَةً فَيَمْنَعُ، وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: إنْ كَانَ الزَّوْجُ عَلَى عَزْمٍ مِنْ قَضَائِهِ يَمْنَعُ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَى عَزْمِ الْقَضَاءِ لَا يَمْنَعُ؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَعُدُّهُ دَيْنًا وَإِنَّمَا يُؤَاخَذُ الْمَرْءُ بِمَا عِنْدَهُ فِي الْأَحْكَامِ.
Also visit previous fatwa on Zakāt on long-term debts: https://jknfatawa.co.uk/Zakāt-on-long-term-loans/
[2] Tabyyeen al-Haqaiq Sharh Kanz Daqaiq, Kitab Zakāt, vol 1, p. 255
[شُرُوط وُجُوبهَا]
وَإِنْ كَانَ مَالُهُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ الدَّيْنِ زَكَّى الْفَاضِلَ إذَا بَلَغَ نِصَابًا لِفَرَاغِهِ عَنْ الدَّيْنِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ لَهُ نُصُبٌ يَصْرِفُ الدَّيْنَ إلَى أَيْسَرِهَا قَضَاءً. مِثَالُهُ: إذَا كَانَ لَهُ دَرَاهِمُ وَدَنَانِيرُ، وَعُرُوضٌ لِلتِّجَارَةِ وَسَوَائِمُ مِنْ الْإِبِلِ، وَمِنْ الْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ، وَعَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ فَإِنْ كَانَ يَسْتَغْرِقُ الْجَمِيعَ فَلَا زَكَاةَ عَلَيْهِ،