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Q. Does the non-Muslim have to pay Zakat?
A. No, Zakat is only prescribed for Muslims.
Q. If a child’s wealth has satisfied all the conditions of Zakat (i.e. it is above the Nisab and has been in their possession for one year), should Zakat be paid on it?
A. No, Zakat is not due on it.
The majority of the scholars from the past favoured the opinion that it should be paid. This is the same for both the child and the insane person, that their guardian should take the Zakat from the person’s wealth and pay it on their behalf.
Q. I paid Zakat on £4000 last Ramadan. This year I have a total of £10,000 of wealth liable to Zakat. What value do I take the 2.5% from as I paid for the £4,000 last year?
A. Zakat is to be paid on the total savings regardless of what Zakat was paid on in the past. Therefore, you would pay 2.5% of £10000, £250.
Q. I have £600, do I have to pay Zakat?
A. Yes, as £600 is more than the current Nisab of £510 and you have met all the other requirements.
Q. I have only Gold, the total amount has been valued at £2000. Do I have to pay Zakat?
A. No, as your wealth is purely Gold, we use the Nisab value for Gold which is currently about £2800. Therefore, the value of your Gold is less than the Gold Nisab and you do not have to pay.
Q. I have mixed assets of Gold, Silver and cash. Gold value: £800, Silver value: £100 and Cash: £100. The total value is £1000, do I have to pay Zakat.
A. Yes, as the value of your total assets is more than the preferred Nisab of approx. £500 and you have met all the other requirements.
Q. Together, I and my wife have wealth valued at £500. Can I pay Zakat for both of us?
A. As Zakat is an individual obligation, you must compare the Nisab with your own wealth and her own wealth to see if each of you has to pay Zakat. If you do, you may pay Zakat for both yourself and your wife as long as she consents to that.
Q. Why do you prefer the Nisab of silver over that of gold?
A. Taking the Nisab of silver is more beneficial for the poor as more people will then pay Zakat and it is safer for the donor. It is permissible to take the Nisab of either but many scholars of the past and present suggest taking the lower valued Nisab for this very reason. The effect on the individual paying Zakat is minor (consider someone with total savings of £500, the amount they are obliged to pay is only £12.50)
The Hawl:
Q. If one has not yet possessed his/her wealth for one lunar year, can he still pay Zakat?
A. Yes he can pay Zakat, but one needs to consider present/future liabilities....
Q. My wealth dipped below the Nisab during the course of the year, do I still have to pay Zakat?
A. Yes, but refer to Scholar
Q. I received a large amount of money just before my Zakat was due for this year. Do I include it in this year’s Zakat?
A. Yes you need to include in your zakat calculation
Q. I have a pension fund, do I pay Zakat on the savings in this fund?
A. This depends on the nature of the fund. We would suggest you consult a scholar about this as the issue of pension schemes can be quite complex.
Q. A group of us have set up a fund to pay for any emergency needs that any of us have. Is this liable for Zakat?
A. It sounds as if the mentioned fund would count as a Waqf. The general rule is that a Waqf is not liable for Zakat. A waqf is a trust which is used by a non-specific group of people. Depending on the nature of the fund, Zakat may/may not be liable.
Q. I have mixed jewellery consisting of gold, silver and precious stones. How do I calculate the value on which Zakat must be paid?
A. The best way for you to do this would be to take the jewellery to a jeweller and ask them to value just the gold and silver parts of the jewellery. The valuations they give will be the total on which you have to pay Zakat. Precious Stones are not liable for Zakat.
Q. I have savings which I shall use to go for Hajj, is this to be included in my wealth when calculating Zakat?
A. Yes, it must be included.
Q. I lent some money out to a friend who informed me that he is able to return the money, do I have to include this in my wealth when calculating Zakat?
A. Yes, as it is as if he is just storing your money.
Q. 10 years ago I lent some money to a friend who is poor and I did not expect to get the money back. He has now paid me back, is this money liable for Zakat?
A. We need to look at the intention when the money was lent out. If the lender was fairly sure that he was not going to receive it back and he is unable to refer it to a judiciary, then in such cases Zakat is usually not payable. However, there are many variables and hence this question should be referred to a scholar.
Q. My Zakat is due in dhul-Qa’dah but I would like to pay in advance (in Ramadan). I have a debt which must be paid in Shawwal (after Ramadan). Can this be deducted from my wealth when calculating Zakat?
A. The general answer would be yes, but we would strongly urge you to consult a scholar about this.
Q. I have a shop where I sell clothes. How do I pay Zakat?
A. Every year at the time of paying Zakat, you would need to calculate the total selling price for all the goods for sale in your shop. E.g. All the clothes for sale in you shop add up to a total selling value of £2000. This figure would be added to your other wealth when calculating your Zakat.
Q. I bought a house for the purpose of renting 5 years ago. Last year I decided that I would sell the house. How do I pay Zakat on this?
A. For the 4 years that you were renting the house out and did not have the intention of selling, you do not pay Zakat on the house. But you would still have to pay Zakat on the rent you earned just like any other wealth you have. You must pay Zakat after one lunar year from the day you made the intention to sell the house. Zakat is to be paid on the selling price of the house. If you are paying in advance, you would need to estimate this. You would need to do the same for every year after that in which the house is still for sale.
Q. What is the definition of the poor and needy?
A. The Fuqara & the Masakin
Fuqara are those that do not own wealth to the amount of Nisab.
Masakin are those who do not have food for the day ( 15 -20% of the world ).
Q. Can I give Zakat to my family members?
A. Zakat can only be given to people from one of those eight categories. If a family member is from one of those categories (e.g. he/she is poor and is unable to provide for himself), and he/she is not already dependant on you, than according to the majority of scholars, he/she can be given Zakat. But if he/she is one of your dependants, than you are obliged to spend on them anyway and cannot give them anything from your Zakat.
Q. Who are the recipients of Zakat-ul-Fitr?
A. The majority of scholars hold the opinion that only the first two categories of the recipients of Zakat can receive Zakat-ul-Fitr.
Q. What do you mean when you say Islamic Relief acts as an agent and how does this allow me to pay in currency?
A. An agent is someone who facilitates your paying of Zakat-ul-Fitr because they are better placed to distribute it. You can pay them in currency because it is as if you are asking them to pay on your behalf. We use that money to buy the food which we give to the appropriate recipients. So it is as if you are the one giving food rather than currency.
Q. Can you take Zakat-ul-Fitr before the 27th of Ramadan?
A. Yes you can, according to the Hanafi & Shafi’i Madh-hab.
Q. I normally give a lot of money in charity throughout the year, do I still have to pay Zakat?
A. Zakat must be paid with the intention of paying Zakat. If one gives any other charity, it cannot be counted as Zakat as they did not have the needed intention, thus you would still have to pay Zakat.
Q. How much is Zakat?
A. Zakat is 2.5% of your total wealth. Therefore if you have £10,000 of wealth liable to Zakat, you would pay £250.
Q. I owe several years of Zakat, how do I pay?
A. For every year that you owe Zakat, take 2.5% from the total wealth you had at the end of that year and pay that in Zakat. If you are not sure how much wealth you had, you must estimate it to the best of your ability. E.g. It is now Ramadan 2011. You have not paid Zakat for the last 5 years. You need to work out how much wealth you owned every Ramadan for the last 5 years and pay 2.5% of that.
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Find out more about Zakat
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