putting off zakat

[Marhaba]

Assalamu 'Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Dear Imam, if a person was in a lot of debt can they put off zakat fro one year and pay double the following year ?

[Imam]

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem,

Wa'alaykum 'Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu



Praise be to Allah Almighty who is the Master of the Whole World, and may Endless Blessings be showered upon His Most Beloved, Final Messenger of Islam (Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam)


Jazak'Allah for this very simple question that you have asked, and a very good one too, as not many questions are of this sort of nature. As simple as it may seem, the answer to your question is 'yes, they can', based on the fact that they are so indebted, that they do not even reach the level where they can qualify as being a 'sahib-e-nisab', he who qualifies for having the minimum taxable income, upon which zakat can be given, especially if he has not held it for a year.


Another condition of giving zakat, is that one must not be indebted, so much that one has difficulty in providing for himself. In such a case, there is no zakat on such a person, until he has savings of his own, that reach the minimum taxable income, that makes him a 'sahib-e-nisab'.


May Allah the Almighty give us all the opportunity to pay Zakaah when we can, and even to give in His name when we are in difficulty.



Wallahu A'lamu Biththawaab



M. Waseem Ashrafi