22nd February 2025
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: My friend got married and after the wedding her in laws kept all her gold and never gave it to her which was supposed to be her wedding gift. They now decided to give her gold back after 15 years. She is not sure whether they have paid any Zakāt on it for all these years. She has asked them, but they are not telling her anything. Does she need to pay Zakāt for the last 15 years even though she did not have the gold with her?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
In reference to your query, Zakāt becomes obligatory upon that wealth that a person owns, is in their possession and reaches to the required nisāb – minimum threshold for Zakāt to be necessary. [1] The sister in question did not receive her gold until after 15 years which was supposed to be her wedding gift. So technically, she had no ownership over it all these years and therefore exempted from paying Zakāt on it for the past 15 years. Her in-laws however were responsible to pay Zakāt on it so long as they possessed it. Once she receives the gold, she must now pay Zakāt on it for that year only, once a complete lunar year has passed and reaches the necessary nisāb (87.48g or 7.5 tolas).[2]
[Allāh Knows Best]
Written by: Apa Samrena Kashaf Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] Ibn Humam, Fathul Qadeer, Kitab Zakat, Vol.2, page 153
(الزَّكَاةُ وَاجِبَةٌ عَلَى الْحُرِّ الْعَاقِلِ الْبَالِغِ الْمُسْلِمِ إذَا مَلَكَ نِصَابًا مِلْكًا تَامًّا وَحَالَ عَلَيْهِ الْحَوْلُ
Abu Bakr Al-Haddad, Al-Jawharatun-Neera, Kitab Zakat, Vol.1, page 114
(قَوْلُهُ مِلْكًا تَامًّا) يُحْتَرَزُ عَنْ مِلْكِ الْمُكَاتَبِ وَالْمَدْيُونِ وَالْمَبِيعِ قَبْلَ الْقَبْضِ لِأَنَّ الْمِلْكَ التَّامَّ هُوَ مَا اجْتَمَعَ فِيهِ الْمِلْكُ وَالْيَدُ وَأَمَّا إذَا وَجَدَ الْمِلْكَ دُونَ الْيَدِ كَمِلْكِ الْمَبِيعِ قَبْلَ الْقَبْضِ وَالصَّدَاقِ قَبْلَ الْقَبْضِ أَوْ وَجَدَ الْيَدَ دُونَ الْمِلْكِ كَمِلْكِ الْمُكَاتَبِ وَالْمَدْيُونِ لَا تَجِبُ فِيهِ الزَّكَاةُ
Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitab Zakat, 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
[2] Durrul Mukhtār wa hashiyah Ibn Ābideen Shāmi, Kitab Zakat, vol 2 p. 306
(وَ) عِنْدَ قَبْضِ (مِائَتَيْنِ مَعَ حَوَلَانِ الْحَوْلِ بَعْدَهُ) أَيْ بَعْدَ الْقَبْضِ (مِنْ) دَيْنٍ ضَعِيفٍ وَهُوَ (بَدَلُ غَيْرِ مَالٍ) كَمَهْرٍ وَدِيَةٍ وَبَدَلِ كِتَابَةٍ وَخُلْعٍ، إلَّا إذَا كَانَ عِنْدَهُ مَا يُضَمُّ إلَى الدَّيْنِ الضَّعِيفِ
فَهَذَا كَالصَّرِيحِ فِي شُمُولِهِ لِأَقْسَامِ الدَّيْنِ الثَّلَاثَةِ، وَلَعَلَّ التَّقْيِيدَ بِالضَّعْفِ لَيَدُلُّ عَلَى غَيْرِهِ بِالْأَوْلَى؛ لِأَنَّ الْمَقْبُوضَ مِنْهُ يُشْتَرَطُ فِيهِ كَوْنُهُ نِصَابًا مَعَ حَوَلَانِ الْحَوْلِ بَعْدَ الْقَبْضِ، فَإِذَا كَانَ يُضَمُّ إلَى مَا عِنْدَهُ وَيَسْقُطُ اشْتِرَاطُ الْحَوْلِ الْجَدِيدِ، فَمَا لَا يُشْتَرَطُ فِيهِ ذَلِكَ يُضَمُّ بِالْأَوْلَى تَأَمَّلْ.
Mufti Abdur Raheem Lajpuri, Fatawa Raheemiyah, Kitab Zakāt, Vol.7, page 76