Fatwa ID: 06080

Answered by: Alimah Zakiratul Hoque

Question:

If someone has a second house that they are renting out. On the zakat date, they have zero cash. Are they eligible for zakat? Is the second house Hawaiij asli if they are renting out and it is their only source of income? 

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

Answer:

Zakaat is compulsory on the following things when they reach the nisaab: things with monetary value (gold, silver, and cash), livestock, and trading goods (Al Muhit Al Burhani, Vol 3, Pg 156). Trading goods refers to things which were bought to be sold.

A rented house does not fall under any of these categories. Therefore, Zakaat will not need to be paid on the house. However, Zakaat will need to be paid on the income earned from the rented house, if the conditions of Zakaat are met.

Zakaat can be paid in forms other than cash as long as it is equal to the amount of Zakat that you are required to pay. Anything that can be given in charity can be used to give Zakaat (Badai Al Sanai, Vol 2, Pg 382).

مال الزكاة الأثمان ـ الذهب و الفضة ـ و أشباههم و السوائم و عروض التجارة

أما صفة هذا النصاب فهي أن يكون معدا للتجارة و هو أن يمسكها للتجارة و ذلك بنية التجارة مقارنة لعمل التجارة

أما الذي يرجع إلي المؤدي فمنها أن يكون مالا متقوما على الإطلاق سواء كان منصوصا عليه أو لا من جنس المال الذي وجبت فيه الزكاة أو من غير جنسه. الأصل أن كل مال يجوز التصدق به تطوعا يجوز أداء الزكاة منه و ما لا فلا

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Alimah Zakiratul Hoque

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham