I pay the zakaah on my wealth every year in Ramadaan, and I pay zakaah on the amount that was in my account in the previous Ramadaan only, i.e., wealth for which one year has passed. Is what I am doing correct? Or do I have to pay zakaah on everything that I saved during the year?.
Praise be to Allaah.
In order for zakaah to be obligatory, one year must have
passed, i.e., one hijri year must have gone by since the wealth reached the
nisaab (threshold at which zakaah becomes due). The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no zakaah on wealth until a
year has passed.” (Narrated by Ibn Maajah; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, no. 787).
The passage of one year is also a condition for zakaah on
gold, silver, paper currency and animals of the an’aam class to be
obligatory. [Translator’s note: the an’aam class of animals includes camels,
cattle, sheep and goats].
Wealth that is earned during the year is of two types:
1 – That which is profit generated by other wealth. Zakaah on
these profits is to be paid at the same time as zakaah on the principle is
due.
2 – That which is independent wealth which is gained in a
manner acceptable according to sharee’ah, such as inheritance, gifts and
savings from one’s salary. No zakaah is due on this until one year has
passed from the date when it reached the nisaab.
The Muslim may pay the zakaah on all the wealth he has in
Ramadaan, both for that for which one year has passed and for that for which
one year has not passed, in order to expedite the zakaah, because of the
report narrated by al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah and al-Haakim, who classed it as
saheeh, that al-‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) asked the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about expediting
his zakaah before one year had passed, and he allowed him to do that. This
hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, no.
545.
This is easier than
calculating the zakaah for each part of his wealth independently, so that he
will not get confused about his wealth and mix up the figures, which may
result in part of the zakaah not being paid or in confusion as to whether
the full of amount of zakaah has been paid or not.
See also question no.
26113
And Allaah knows best.
