Fatwa ID: 02265

Answered by Molana Muhammad Imad Ali

Question:

i wish to pay my zakat, but i am confused. Example I got some a lump sum in April and before that I had no savings. I was under the impression you only pay zakat if the money has been in the bank saved for 1 year that you pay zakat on. I spoke to someone from zakat helpline and he said no you pay zakat on the money you got on that day and does not have to have been saved for 1 year?

Please clarify so that I can fulfill my duties. Jazkhir Khair

Answer:

Zakat is obligatory for each free, sane and major (buloogh) Muslim when he owns the nisab (minimum scale) through complete ownership and a year has passed over such ownership. Regarding your question it is essential that the year (hawl) passes over the nisab amount and it is not necessary that a year passes on the lump sum you received during the middle of the year. (Imam Burhan al-din al-marghinani Book: Al-Hidayah Volume: 1 Page:185)

Therefore, the lump sum you had received will be added on to your other savings throughout the year and zakat will be given for all.

Only Allah knows best.

Molana Muhammad Imad Ali

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul ifta Birmingham