Fatwa ID: 06629
Answered by: Maulana Yūsuf Badāt
Question:
I have read that one needs to have complete ownership of wealth for one to be liable for giving Zakāt. If a bāligh [adult] child cannot access funds until he/ she is 18, does he/ she need to pay zakāt for those funds in the bank?
If not, do the parents need to pay or nobody is liable? Upon acquiring those funds after turning 18, does the individual in question need to pay for previous years?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Funds owned by an adult [bāligh] person that are not accessible are still liable for zakāh, however, one has the option to discharge zakāh when it becomes obligatory at the conclusion of one’s niṣāb year annually, or when one obtains access to one’s funds. Yes, one will also be mandated to pay for previous years for which zakāh was not paid due to the funds being inaccessible. – (See: Rad Al-Muḥtār, Vol 2, Page 305, Dār Al-Fikr1)
Only Allāh knows the best
Written by Maulana Yūsuf Badāt
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
1 وَ اعْلَمْ أَنَّ الدُّيُونَ عِنْدَ الْإِمَامِ ثَلَاثَةٌ قَوِيٌّ وَمُتَوَسِّطٌ وَضَعِيفٌ فَتَجِبُ زَكَاتُهَا إذَا تَمَّ نِصَابًا وَحَالَ الْحَوْلُ لَكِنْ لَا فَوْرًا بَلْ عِنْدَ قَبْضِ أَرْبَعِينَ دِرْهَمًا مِنْ الدَّيْنِ الْقَوِيِّ كَقَرْضٍ وَبَدَلِ مَالِ تِجَارَةٍ فَكُلَّمَا قَبَضَ أَرْبَعِينَ دِرْهَمًا يَلْزَمُهُ دِرْهَمٌ وَ عِنْدَ قَبْضِ مِائَتَيْنِ مِنْهُ لِغَيْرِهَا أَيْ مِنْ بَدَلِ مَالٍ لِغَيْرِ تِجَارَةٍ وَهُوَ الْمُتَوَسِّطُ كَثَمَنِ سَائِمَةٍ وَعَبِيدِ خِدْمَةٍ وَنَحْوِهِمَا مِمَّا هُوَ مَشْغُولٌ بِحَوَائِجِهِ الْأَصْلِيَّةِ كَطَعَامٍ وَشَرَابٍ وَأَمْلَاكٍ وَيُعْتَبَرُ مَا مَضَى مِنْ الْحَوْلِ قَبْلَ– كتاب الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ج٢/ ص٣٠٥ دار الفكر
