Intending Zakaat for an unpaid loan
Question
Can I make an intention of Zakaat for a loan that I had given to a poor person five years ago?
Answer
A.For a person’s Zakaat to be discharged, it is necessary for a person to make an intention of Zakaat at the time of discharging it and not afterwards. (Fathul Qadeer 2/170) Hence, if a creditor had given a loan to his debtor (a Zakaat recipient), the creditors Zakaat will not be discharged if his intention was of a loan and not of Zakaat.
In such a case, a person cannot discharge his Zakaat that was intended as a loan and not of Zakaat.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
- Answered by
- Mufti Ismaeel Bassa
- Checked by
- Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.
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Source: Jamiatul Ulama KZN — https://jamiat.org.za/intending-zakaat-for-an-unpaid-loan/
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/jamiat-19045
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