19th February 2025
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: I received my inheritance money when I was a minor in 2005 and now I am now 29 years old. I left the money when I reached adulthood fearing that I would waste it and didn’t know about the inheritance Zakāt due to lack of faith at the time (may Allah forgive me). I received my money in December 2024 and want to know if I have to pay Zakāt for the past 18 years for this money or not. It would be devastating to my future plans for buying a home and investment which I had planned to wait for, but if it’s God’s command then I must obey.
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
Regarding your query about paying Zakāt on your inheritance money, remember that one of the conditions of Zakāt is ‘milk tām’, which simply means having complete possession and control over the wealth. Even if it is not physically in your possession but you are able to access it at any time then that still falls under complete ownership. You mentioned that you received your inheritance money when you were a minor, however you chose not to access or spend it until adulthood. Based on the UK legal age, I assume you are referring to age 18 (if that is the case that is). If so then Islamically, you become liable to pay Zakāt from the age of puberty, not from the UK legal age.[1] You must calculate 2.5% every year for Zakāt, according to the lunar calendar, from your inheritance money since the time of puberty.[2]
It is irrelevant whether you decided not to access the savings due to fear of wasting the money because you fulfilled the condition of complete ownership.
[Allāh Knows Best]
Written by: Apa Zakiya Saeeda Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Mabsūt Li-Sarakhsī, Kitāb at-Tahārah, Kitāb al-Zakāt, Vol 2, Page 162
(قَالَ) وَلَا زَكَاةَ عَلَى الصَّبِيِّ وَالْمَجْنُونِ فِي سَائِمَتِهِمَا عِنْدَنَا وَهُوَ قَوْلُ عَلِيٍّ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا – قَالَا: لَا تَجِبُ الزَّكَاةُ عَلَى الصَّبِيِّ حَتَّى تَجِبَ الصَّلَاةُ عَلَيْهِ
[2] Just to note that when calculating your Zakat from the total asset, each year you will exclude 2.5% of the previous years payment as that falls under debt. See previous fatwa on calculating Zakāt on the previous years; https://jknfatawa.co.uk/how-should-a-creditor-calculate-zakat-on-the-previous-years/
Al Bahr ur Rā’iq, Kitāb al-Zakāt, Vol 2, Page 218-219
فَعُلِمَ أَنَّ الْمَالَ الَّذِي هُوَ النِّصَابُ الْحَوْلِيُّ سَبَبٌ وَمِلْكُهُ شَرْطٌ؛ وَلِذَا عَدَّ فِي الْبَدَائِعِ مِنْ الشُّرُوطِ الْمِلْكَ الْمُطْلَقَ، وَهُوَ الْمَمْلُوكُ رَقَبَةً وَيَدًا، وَبِمَا قَرَّرْنَاهُ ظَهَرَ أَنَّ قَوْلَ النَّهْرِ فِي قَوْلِ الْمُصَنِّفِ إنَّهُ مِنْ إضَافَةِ الصِّفَةِ إلَى الْمَوْصُوفِ غَيْرُ صَحِيحٍ فَتَدَبَّرْ (قَوْلُهُ فَانْصَرَفَ إلَى الْكَامِلِ) قَالَ فِي النَّهْرِ أَنْتَ خَبِيرٌ بِأَنَّ هَذَا مُنَافٍ لِمَا مَرَّ قَرِيبًا مِنْ احْتِيَاجِهِ إلَى قَيْدِ التَّمَامِ (قَوْلُهُ فَلَا يَجِبُ عَلَى الْمُشْتَرِي إلَخْ) أَيْ قَبْلَ قَبْضِهِ أَمَّا بَعْدَهُ فَيَجِبُ لِمَا مَضَى كَمَا سَيُنَبِّهُ عَلَيْه مَعْزِيًّا إلَى الْجَامِعِ رَجُلٌ لَهُ أَلْفُ دِرْهَمٍ لَا مَالَ لَهُ غَيْرُهَا اسْتَأْجَرَ بِهَا دَارًا عَشْرَ سِنِينَ لِكُلِّ سَنَةٍ مِائَةٌ فَدَفَعَ الْأَلْفَ، وَلَمْ يَسْكُنْهَا حَتَّى مَضَتْ السُّنُونَ وَالدَّارُ فِي يَدِ الْآجِرِ زَكَّى الْآجِرُ فِي السَّنَةِ الْأُولَى عَنْ تِسْعِمِائَةٍ
Fatāwā Hindiyyah, Kitāb at-Zakāt, Vol 1, Page 172
وَمِنْهَا الْمِلْكُ التَّامُّ وَهُوَ مَا اجْتَمَعَ فِيهِ الْمِلْكُ وَالْيَدُ وَأَمَّا إذَا وُجِدَ الْمِلْكُ دُونَ الْيَدِ كَالصَّدَاقِ قَبْلَ الْقَبْضِ أَوْ وُجِدَ الْيَدُ دُونَ الْمِلْكِ كَمِلْكِ الْمُكَاتَبِ وَالْمَدْيُونِ لَا تَجِبُ فِيهِ الزَّكَاةُ كَذَا فِي السِّرَاجِ الْوَهَّاجِ وَأَمَّا الْمَبِيعُ قَبْلَ الْقَبْضِ فَقِيلَ لَا يَكُونُ نِصَابًا وَالصَّحِيحُ أَنَّهُ يَكُونُ نِصَابًا كَذَا فِي مُحِيطِ السَّرَخْسِيِّ
Hāshiyah Durrul Mukhtār wa Hāshiyah ibn Ābidīn, Kitāb al-Zakāt, Vol 2, Page 163
(قَوْلُهُ فَلَا زَكَاةَ عَلَى مُكَاتَبٍ) (قَوْلُهُ لِعَدَمِ الْمِلْكِ التَّامِّ) أَيْ لِعَدَمِ الْيَدِ فِي حَقِّ السَّيِّدِ وَعَدَمِ مِلْكِ الرَّقَبَةِ فِي حَقِّ الْمُكَاتَبِ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ الْمَالُ لِلْمَوْلَى بِالتَّعْجِيزِ أَوْ لِلْمُكَاتَبِ بِأَدَاءِ بَدَلِ الْكِتَابَةِ لَا يُزَكَّى عَنْ السِّنِينَ الْمَاضِيَةِ بَلْ يَسْتَأْنِفُ حَوْلًا جَدِيدًا. اهـ. ح وَكَانَ الْأَوْلَى بِالشَّارِحِ تَأْخِيرَ التَّعْلِيلِ إلَى آخِرِ الْمَسَائِلِ الثَّلَاثِ الَّتِي ذَكَرَهَا فَإِنَّهُ عِلَّةٌ لَهُ أَيْضًا؛ لِأَنَّ الْمَفْقُودَ فِيهَا إمَّا عَدَمُ الْيَدِ أَوْ عَدَمُ مِلْكِ الرَّقَبَةِ وَقَدْ مَرَّ أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِالْمِلْكِ التَّامِّ الْمَمْلُوكُ رَقَبَةً وَيَدًا
Kasān, Badā’i Sanāi, Kitāb al-Zakāt, vol 2 p. 9
فَصْلٌ الشَّرَائِطُ الَّتِي تَرْجِعُ إلَى الْمَالِ
مِنْهَا الْمِلْكُ الْمُطْلَقُ وَهُوَ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَمْلُوكًا لَهُ رَقَبَةً وَيَدًا وَهَذَا قَوْلُ أَصْحَابِنَا الثَّلَاثَةِ……….. وَفِي الْمَدْفُونِ فِي الْكَرْمِ وَالدَّارِ الْكَبِيرَةِ اخْتِلَافُ الْمَشَايِخِ احْتِجَاجًا بِعُمُومَاتِ الزَّكَاةِ مِنْ غَيْرِ فَصْلٍ؛ وَلِأَنَّ وُجُوبَ الزَّكَاةِ يَعْتَمِدُ الْمِلْكَ دُونَ الْيَدِ بِدَلِيلِ ابْنِ السَّبِيلِ فَإِنَّهُ تَجِبُ الزَّكَاةُ فِي مَالِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَتْ يَدُهُ فَائِتَةً لِقِيَامِ مِلْكِهِ. وَتَجِبُ الزَّكَاةُ فِي الدَّيْنِ مَعَ عَدَمِ الْقَبْضِ