5th May 2025
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: My friend is salaried class and earns 60,000 PKR per month which is lower middle class income in Pakistan. He owns a motorcycle worth of 120,000 and has no other asset, but he has bought a property out rightly for 3,000,000, but issue is that this money is stuck since couple of years and property hasn’t been given to him, but since past 6 months, this property is on rent of 15,000 and though it is still not transferred to his name due to fraud but now it’s making progress, so since 6 months rent of 15,000 is also being received. He has loan payable of 1,500,000. He supports his wife and 3 daughters aged (13, 6, 2 ) two are school going. He lives in rent free room at a normal locality. Would he be eligible for Zakāt to help him pay off his loan? At the same time, I feel like he has an issue of taking loan as he states that he cannot spend his life on 60,000 + 15,000 per month and normally takes little loan every month which keeps on adding up.
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to your query, as a general rule Zakāt is due on a person who possesses the nisab (minimum threshold of wealth) for a full lunar year.[1] The nisab is traditionally measured according to the silver value, which is 612.36g grams of silver. The market value of silver varies, but as a rough estimate, the nisab is usually between 5,500 PKR to 6,500 PKR, depending on the price of silver. Zakat is obligatory when one’s wealth exceeds this threshold after deducting any outstanding debts.[2]
In your friend’s case, it states that he earns a monthly salary of 60,000 PKR and also received monthly rental income of 15,000 PKR for the past six months from a property he purchased for 3,000,000 PKR. However, the property has not yet been transferred on to his name due to an ongoing legal issue. Despite this, the rental income belongs to him. This rental income could potentially amount to 180,000 PKR by the end of the year and his salary to 720,000 PKR a year. This totals his annual earnings to 900,000 PKR. This obviously fluctuates every year depending on his outgoing expenses and how much he can save.
Nevertheless, it is clear that his debt exceeds his earnings. You also alluded that he is taking additional loan for supplementary financial support. He can therefore be eligible for Zakāt to help him pay of his personal loan with the condition that he does not possess any surplus of wealth or assets beyond his essentials amounting to the nisab value, he is surviving on daily essentials, living on very little amount enough to feed his family after excluding his daily expenses and utilities, and not borrowing additional money frivolously.[3]
It must be noted that scholars differ regarding short-term and long-term debt. Irrespective of this, he qualifies as a Zakāt recipient so long as he fulfils the aforementioned conditions.
[Allāh Knows Best]
Written by: Apa Sumayya Qazi Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Fatawa Hindiyyah, kitabus Zakāt, vol 1, pg 192.
و منها حولان الحول على المال: العبرة في الزكاة للحول القمري كذا في القنية، وإذا كان النصاب كاملا في طرفي الحول فنقصانه فيما بين ذلك لا يسقط الزكاة كذا في الهداية…
Radul muhtar, Kitabus Zakāt, vol 4, pg 268.
(ملك نصاب حولي) … (قوله: لجولان عليه) أي: لان حولان الحول على النصاب شرط لكونه سببا، وهذا علة للنسبة، و سمى الحول حولا؟ لان الأحوال تتحول فيه، أو لأنه يتحول من فصل إلى فصل من فصوله الأربعة.
[2] Fatawa Hindiyya, Kitabus Zakāt, vol 1, pg 189.
و منها الملك التام: وهو ما اجتمع فيه الملك واليد و أما إذا وجد الملك دون اليد كالصداق قبل القبض أو وجد اليد دون الملك كملك المكاتب والمديون لا تجب فيه الزكاة كذا في في السراج الوهاج…
Radul muhtar, Kitabus Zakāt, vol 4, page 270.
(قوله: فارغ عن دين) بالجر صفة نصاب، وأطلقه فشمل الدين العارض كما يذكره الشارع، ويأتي بيانه، وهذا إذا كان الدين في ذمة قبل وجوب الزكاة، فلو لحقه بعده لم تسقط الذكاة؟ لأنها ثبتت في ذمته، فلا يسقطها ما لحق من الدين بعد ثبوتها، جوهرة.
[3] Zuhayli, Fiqhul Islami Wa Adilatuhu, Kitabu Zakāt, Vol 2, pg 782.
الغارمون: وهم المدينون… و قال الحنفية: الغارم: من لزمه دين، ولا يملك نصابا فاضلا عن دينه.
Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitab Zakāt, Vol 1, pg 207.
منها الغارم: وهو من لزمه دين ولا يملك نصابا فاضلا عن دينه أو كان له مال على الناس لا يمكنه أخذه كذا في التبيين، والدفع إلى من عليه الدين أولى من الدفع إلى الفقير كذا في المضمرات.
Bahur Raiq, kitabu Zakāt, vol 2, pg 241.
)والمديون ) أطلقه كالقدوري وقيده في الكافي بأن لا يملك نصابا فاضلا عن دينه ؛ لأنه المراد بالغارم في الآية ، وهو في اللغة من عليه دين ، ولا يجد قضاء كما ذكره القتبي
Radul muhtar, Kitab Zakāt, vol 2, pg 343.
وفي الظهيرية : الدفع للمديون أولى منه للفقير