Fatwa ID: 06942
Answered by: Shaikh Shafiur Rahman
Question:
If someone has not paid zakat for a few years and then they become majnun (insane). Do the outstanding zakat payments become cancelled?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
The pre-conditions for someone liable to pay zakat is that they must be a sane, free, adult Muslim.1
If one is or becomes insane (majnun) then the obligation is lifted from the person because the payment of zakat is also an ‘ibadah and there is no obligation of ‘ibadah on an insane person.2
Therefore, the insane person will not be in a position of legal capacity to pay for any outstanding zakat until and unless he regains his sanity.
If he regains his sanity, then he will be obliged to pay the outstanding zakah that was incurred for the past periods he was sane and met the other conditions of zakat.
1 (وَشَرْطُ افْتِرَاضِهَا عَقْلٌ وَبُلُوغٌ وَإِسْلَامٌ وَحُرِّيَّةٌ)
ص259 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – كتاب الزكاة – المكتبة الشاملة
2 (قَوْلُهُ عَقْلٌ وَبُلُوغٌ) فَلَا تَجِبُ عَلَى مَجْنُونٍ وَصَبِيٍّ لِأَنَّهَا عِبَادَةٌ مَحْضَةٌ وَلَيْسَا مُخَاطَبَيْنِ بِهَا، وَإِيجَابُ النَّفَقَاتِ وَالْغَرَامَاتِ لِكَوْنِهَا مِنْ حُقُوقِ الْعِبَادِ وَالْعُشْرِ، وَصَدَقَةِ الْفِطْرِ لِأَنَّ فِيهِمَا مَعْنَى الْمُؤْنَةِ.
ص258 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – كتاب الزكاة – المكتبة الشاملة
Only Allah knows best
Written by Shaikh Shafiur Rahman
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
