Fatwa ID: 09410
Answered by Muftiyah Maryam Badshah
Question:
Assalam o alaikum,
I have given a certain amount to my husband that he has used to purchase a car and for our travelling. He said he will return everything. But I have told him if he returns the amount it will be good else no issue. He considers it a debt. My question is it really a debt? Do I need to pay zakat on it?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
As it was understood at the time that this wealth was to be repaid, it would be considered a debt owed to you. The mention of it being alright if he does not repay the debt is simply you stating that you will forgive the debt in the event that he is unable to pay it back. This statement does not absolve him of the debt nor change the debt into a gift. A gift requires a person to fully relinquish their ownership and possession of something, so this payment would not be considered a gift unless you state you forgive the debt and will not require any repayment.[1]
When an individual is owed a debt, they are required to include this amount as part of their zakatable assets. After reaching the nisab threshold, a person is required to give zakah on 2.5% of their total zakatable assets at the end of each year. Zakat on a loan can be given in one of two ways. One can either pay it each year from the wealth they possess on-hand, or they can wait until the debt is repaid before giving zakat on the debt for all the years it was lent out.[2]
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Muftiyah Maryam Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
وَتَتِمُّ) الْهِبَةُ (بِالْقَبْضِ) الْكَامِلِ
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.5, pg.690, Dār Al-Fiqr)
١ – القَاعِدَة الأولى : [ اَلۡأُمُوۡرُ بِمُقَاصِدِهَا ]…
الشَرَح : أَيۡ إِنَّ اۡلحُكُمَ الَّذِي يَتَرَتَّبُ عَلَى فِعۡلِ الۡمُكَلَّفِ يُنۡظَرُ فِيهِ إِلَى مَقَصِدِهِ … وَمَنۡ قَالَ لِآَخَر: خُذۡ هَذِهِ الدَّرَاهِمۡ ، فَإِنۡ نَوَى التَّبَرَّعُ بِهَا كَانَ هِبَةً ، وَإِلَّا كَانَ قَرۡضًا وَاجِبُ الۡإِعَادَة …
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۷۲ – القاعدة الثامنة عشرة | لَا يَتِمُّ التَّبَرُّعُ إِلَّا بِالْقَبْضِ ] م/٥٧
فَإِذَا وَهَبَ أَحَدٌ شَيْئاً لِآَخَرٍ لَا تَتِمُّ الْهِبَةُ قَبْلَ الْقَبْضِ ، وَكَذَا الْهِدِيَّةُ وَالصَّدَقَةُ وَمَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِك ، فَلَا بُدَّ مِنَ الْقَبْضِ حَتَّى يتمّ التَّبَرُّع ، وَلَوْ رَجَعَ الْوَاهِبُ قَبْلَ الْقَبْضِ لَمْ تلزم اَلْهِبَةُ وَلَهُ ذَلِك ، وَلَوْ تُوُفِّيَ الْوَاهِبُ أَوِ الْمَوْهُوْبُ لَهُ بَطَلَتِ الْهِبَةُ
Qawaa’id Fiqhiyyah Q1 & 72 (pg.12 & 89-90, Darul Tirmizi)
[2]
وَقَيَّدْنَا الدَّيْنَ بِالْمَجْحُودِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ عَلَى مُقِرٍّ مَلِيٍّ أَوْ مُعْسِرٍ تَجِبُ الزَّكَاةُ لِإِمْكَانِ الْوُصُولِ إلَيْهِ ابْتِدَاءً أَوْ بِوَاسِطَةِ التَّحْصِيلِ… وَمَعَ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ فِي حُكْمِ الزَّكَاةِ رِعَايَةً لِجَانِبِ الْفُقَرَاءِ كَذَا فِي الْهِدَايَةِ فَأَفَادَ أَنَّهُ إذَا قَبَضَ الدَّيْنَ زَكَّاهُ لِمَا مَضَى…
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… لِأَنَّهُ بَدَلٌ عَنْ مَالٍ لَوْ بَقِيَ ذَلِكَ الْمَالُ فِي يَدِهِ تَجِبُ الزَّكَاةُ فِيهِ فَإِنَّهُ جَعَلَ الدَّيْنَ الَّذِي هُوَ بَدَلُ عَنْ مَالٍ عَلَى قِسْمَيْنِ: أَحَدُهُمَا هَذَا، وَهُوَ الدَّيْنُ الْقَوِيُّ وَالْآخَرُ مَا يَكُونُ بَدَلًا عَنْ مَالٍ لَوْ بَقِيَ ذَلِكَ الْمَالُ فِي يَدِهِ لَا تَجِبُ فِيهِ الزَّكَاةُ، وَهَذَا هُوَ الدَّيْنُ الْمُتَوَسِّطُ…
Al-Bahr Al-Rāiq (Vol.2, pg.223, Dār Al-Kitab Al-Islami)
(الْفَصْلُ الْأَوَّلُ فِي زَكَاةِ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ)
تَجِبُ فِي كُلِّ مِائَتَيْ دِرْهَمٍ خَمْسَةُ دَرَاهِمَ، وَفِي كُلِّ عِشْرِينَ مِثْقَالِ ذَهَبٍ نِصْفُ مِثْقَالٍ مَضْرُوبًا كَانَ أَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَصُوغًا أَوْ غَيْرَ مَصُوغٍ حُلِيًّا كَانَ لِلرِّجَالِ أَوْ لِلنِّسَاءِ تِبْرًا كَانَ أَوْ سَبِيكَةً كَذَا فِي الْخُلَاصَةِ. وَيُعْتَبَرُ فِيهِمَا أَنْ يَكُونَ الْمُؤَدَّى قَدْرَ الْوَاجِبِ وَزْنًا، وَلَا يُعْتَبَرُ فِيهِ الْقِيمَةُ عِنْدَ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ وَأَبِي يُوسُفَ – رَحِمَهُمَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى -…
Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.178, Dār Al-Fiqr)
وَلَوْ كَانَ لَهُ دَيْنٌ عَلَى فَقِيرٍ فَأَبْرَأَهُ عَنْهُ سَقَطَ عَنْهُ زَكَاتُهُ نَوَى بِهِ عَنْ الزَّكَاةِ أَوْ لَا؛ لِأَنَّهُ كَالْهَلَاكِ، وَلَوْ أَبْرَأَهُ عَنْ الْبَعْضِ سَقَطَ زَكَاةُ ذَلِكَ الْبَعْضِ لِمَا قُلْنَا وَزَكَاةُ الْبَاقِي لَا تَسْقُطُ، وَلَوْ نَوَى بِهِ إلَّا الْأَدَاءَ عَنْ الْبَاقِي كَذَا فِي التَّبْيِينِ
Al-Fatāwa al-Hindiyyah (Vol.1, pg.171, Dār Al-Fiqr)