Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah

Is it allowed for me to offset certain amount of my Zakat money for a debt owed to me?

· 6 Jumada II 1441 AH2 min readFatwa 42406English

Question

Assalamu Allaikum. My question is related to Zakat. My brother-in-law living in Sri Lanka was in dire financial need. He was unable to obtain any bank loan. He approached me. I helped him by obtaining an Islamic Loan in Dubai under my name. We had written agreement that he could pay me monthly an agreed sum that I pay to the bank. For the past 31 months I have been paying the loan to the bank from my income. He has lost his job and business. He has been unable to pay the agreed loan amount for the past 24 months. I am about to pay my Zakat. Under his condition I am well aware that he cannot pay the bank loan. Is it allowed for me to offset certain amount of my Zakat money for his debt that he owes to me? He is not even able to meet his day ends. Please advice me what is allowed. JazakAllah.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

It is not permissible for you to offset any amount of your Zakat for the debt owe able to you.

However, you may give your Zakat to your brother-in-law (the debtor) who is eligible for Zakat. He may then voluntarily pay you the debt from that Zakat money.[i]

Furthermore, there will be Zakat on the debt owe able to you. The Zakat on the debt owe able to you will be calculated as follows.

1) You may pay the yearly Zakat of the debt before being paid.[ii]

For example, the debt is 1000AED, you pay 2.5% of 1000AED. You continue paying the Zakat every year. When the debt is paid, you do not have to pay Zakat for the previous years.

2) Alternatively, you do not pay Zakat in advance. Whenever you get paid, then you pay Zakat of the previous years on that amount.

For example, you are paid 1000AED for the debt after 2 years. You will discharge 25AED Zakat (2.5% of 1000AED) for the previous year and 24.40AED Zakat (2.5% of 975AED) for the present year. [iii]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mohammed

Student Darul Iftaa

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

[i] الفتاوى الهندية (6/ 391(

رَجُلٌ لَهُ عَلَى فَقِيرٍ مَالٌ وَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَتَصَدَّقَ بِمَالِهِ عَلَى غَرِيمِهِ وَيَحْتَسِبَ بِهِ عَنْ زَكَاةِ مَالِهِ فَقَدْ عُرِفَ مِنْ أَصْلِ أَصْحَابِنَا رَحِمَهُمْ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَنَّهُ لَا يَتَأَدَّى بِالدَّيْنِ زَكَاةُ الْعَيْنِ وَلَا زَكَاةُ دَيْنٍ آخَرَ وَالْحِيلَةُ فِي ذَلِكَ أَنْ يَتَصَدَّقَ صَاحِبُ الْمَالِ عَلَى الْغَرِيمِ بِمِثْلِ مَا لَهُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ الْمَالِ الْعَيْنِ نَاوِيًا عَنْ زَكَاةِ مَالِهِ وَيَدْفَعُهُ إلَيْهِ، فَإِذَا قَبَضَهُ الْغَرِيمُ وَدَفَعَهُ إلَى صَاحِبِ الْمَالِ قَضَاءً بِمَا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ الدَّيْنِ يَجُوزُ، وَذُكِرَ فِي النَّوَادِرِ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى - سُئِلَ عَنْ هَذَا فَأَجَابَ وَقَالَ: هَذَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَنْ يَدْفَعَهُ إلَى غَيْرِهِ، وَمَشَايِخُنَا الْمُتَقَدِّمُونَ رَحِمَهُمْ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى يَسْتَعْمِلُونَ هَذِهِ الْحِيلَةَ مَعَ غُرَمَائِهِمْ الْمَفَالِيسِ وَكَانُوا لَا يَرَوْنَ بِهِ بَأْسًا

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (2/ 271(

)قَوْلُهُ وَحِيلَةُ الْجَوَازِ) أَيْ فِيمَا إذَا كَانَ لَهُ دَيْنٌ عَلَى مُعْسِرٍ، وَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَجْعَلَهُ زَكَاةً عَنْ عَيْنٍ عِنْدَهُ أَوْ عَنْ دَيْنٍ لَهُ عَلَى آخَرَ سَيُقْبَضُ (قَوْلُهُ أَنْ يُعْطِيَ مَدْيُونَهُ إلَخْ) قَالَ فِي الْأَشْبَاهِ وَهُوَ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ أَيْ لِأَنَّهُ يَصِيرُ وَسِيلَةً إلَى بَرَاءَةِ ذِمَّةِ الْمَدْيُونِ

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (2/ 271)

وَالْحِيلَةُ إذَا خَافَ ذَلِكَ مَا فِي الْأَشْبَاهِ، وَهُوَ أَنْ يُوَكِّلَ الْمَدْيُونُ خَادِمَ الدَّائِنِ بِقَبْضِ الزَّكَاةِ ثُمَّ بِقَضَاءِ دَيْنِهِ، فَبِقَبْضِ الْوَكِيلِ صَارَ مِلْكًا لِلْمُوَكِّلِ، وَلَا يُسَلَّمُ الْمَالُ لِلْوَكِيلِ إلَّا فِي غَيْبَةِ الْمَدْيُونِ لِاحْتِمَالِ أَنْ يَعْزِلَهُ عَنْ وَكَالَةِ قَضَاءِ دَيْنِهِ حَالَ الْقَبْضِ قَبْلَ الدَّفْعِ

فتاوی قاسمیة (۵۵۲ْ/۱۰)

اپنے مقروض کو زکاة کی رقم دے کر اسے قرضہ وصول کرنا۔۔۔

[ii] فتاوي العثمانية (٣٧٦/٣)

قرض کی قسطوار وصولی پر زکاة

۔۔۔ دوسرا مملوکہ مقبوضہ مال کی زکاة ادا کرنے کے ساتہ ساتہ اس قرضہ کے کی زکاة بھی ہر سال ادا کرتا رہے

[iii] فتاوي العثمانية (٣٧٦/٣)

قرض کی قسطوار وصولی پر زکاة

۔۔۔ جب مال وصول ہو تو کزشتہ تمام مدة کی زکاة اس سے یکمشت ادا کردے

Answered by
Mohammed
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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Source: Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah — https://askimam.org/public/question_detail/42406
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/askimam-42406

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