Fatwa ID: 08968
Answered by Maulana Nahid Uddin
Question:
A mother gifts a sum of money to her adult daughter but keeps the money in her possession for safekeeping and does not physically hand it over.
Does the money Islamically count as the daughter’s property even though she has not physically received it?
Can she gift this money to her own child while it is still with her mother?
Is she required to pay zakāt on this money in this situation or not?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
A gift is not complete merely by verbal declaration; rather, it requires offer, acceptance, and proper possession. [1] Therefore, if the mother only declares the gift but continues to hold the money as safekeeping without granting full control or access, then legally, the daughter does not yet own the money. Based on this, since ownership has not occurred, the money stays the property of the mother. Consequently, the daughter cannot treat it as her own property and gift this to her own child until she gains possession or unrestricted control.
As for giving zakat on this money, the ruling follows ownership. If the money is still legally owned by the mother, she is responsible for Zakat on it if it reaches nisab and a lunar year passes. [2]
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Maulana Nahid Uddin
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
ثُمَّ إنَّ الْحَدِيثَ دَلِيلُ أَنَّ الْهِبَةَ لَا تَتِمُّ إلَّا بِالْقَبْضِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ اعْتَبَرَ الْقَبْضَ لِلْمَنْعِ عَنْ الرُّجُوعِ، وَهُوَ دَلِيلٌ لَنَا أَنَّ الْوَالِدَ إذَا وَهَبَ لِوَلَدِهِ هِبَةً لَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَرْجِعَ فِيهَا كَالْوَلَدِ إذَا وَهَبَ لِوَالِدِهِ، وَهَذَا لِأَنَّ الْمَنْعَ مِنْ الرُّجُوعِ لِحُصُولِ الْمَقْصُود
Al-Mabsoot, Book of gifts, Page 49. Accessed on Al-Maktabah Al-Shamilah, 5-06-26
[2]
فَالدَّرَاهِمُ تَتَعَيَّنُ فِي الْهِبَةِ وَالرُّجُوعِ فِيهَا، وَلَا زَكَاةَ عَلَى الْأَوَّلِ؛ لِأَنَّهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ فِي مِلْكِهِ حِينَ تَمَّ الْحَوْلُ وَيَسْتَوِي إنْ كَانَ الْأَوَّلُ رَجَعَ فِيهَا بِقَضَاءٍ، أَوْ بِغَيْرِ قَضَاءٍ عِنْدَنَا خِلَافًا لِزُفَرَ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى – وَعَلَى قَوْلِ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ – لَيْسَ لِلْوَاهِبِ الْأَوَّلِ أَنْ يَرْجِعَ فِي مِقْدَارِ الزَّكَاةِ إذَا أَدَّى وَلَكِنَّ الْمَوْهُوبَ لَهُ يَتَصَدَّقُ بِهِ عَلَى الْفُقَرَاءِ وَقَدْ بَيَّنَّا هَذَا فِي كِتَابِ الْهِبَةِ
Al-Mabsoot, Book of rare Zakat, Page 30. Accessed on Al-Maktabah Al-Shamilah, 5-06-26