Fatwa ID: 06523

Answered by: Maulana Burhaan Rahman

Question:

Is there zakat on land that a person receives as a gift?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

On a person’s land and property/commodity, no zakaah is payable. Unless he has prepared it for sale or has gained money from it through rent or other means. And if the earnings are zakatable (i.e. 2.5 per cent), then one-quarter of one-tenth should be paid as zakaah. ‘

Our beloved Prophet (SAW) has mentioned:

ليْسَ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِ فِي عَبْدِهِ، وَلَا فَرَسِهِ، صَدَقَةٌ

No Sadaqa is due from a Muslim on his slave or his horse. [Muslim Hadeeth no. 982]

Imam Nawawi gives an explanation to this Hadeeth saying:

هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ أَصْلٌ فِي أَنَّ أَمْوَالَ الْقِنْيَةِ لَا زَكَاةَ فِيهَا

This hadith refers to “belongings” whereby there is no zakaah on it.

So unless selling the gift/earning money from it takes place, there is no zakah on this gifted land.

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Maulana Burhaan Rahman

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham