The state grant: Is it subject to zakah?
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Fatwa No. ( 18311 )
Q: My father received a residential land plot as a grant from the state in one of the cities of the Kingdom, in the year 1407 AH. He did not dispose of it in any way, nor did he pay zakah on it. He passed away in the year 1409 AH, and the land remained as it was without being divided among the heirs. In the year 1414 AH, all the heirs decided to sell it, and it was indeed sold for the sum of (135,000) one hundred and thirty-five thousand riyals. Since some of the heirs had not reached the age of maturity, we requested permission from the Shari'ah court to sell it. We took ten thousand riyals from the buyer to remain in the real estate office until permission for the sale was granted. The request for permission took a full year.
After the year, the buyer paid the full amount and took possession of the land. Is zakah obligatory on the value of this land for this year? Is it obligatory on the buyer or on us, the heirs? Is it obligatory for the previous years during which it was not paid? Please inform us, may Allah reward you with good, and may He bless your knowledge and benefit all Muslims with it.
A: There is no zakah on you for the land mentioned for the past period; because your father did not intend to sell it before his death, and you did not intend to sell it until the year 1414 AH, and because you did not receive the price and it did not settle in your ownership until a year had passed from the sale. As for after you receive the price of the land, zakah becomes obligatory on you, each of you according to his share, if it reaches the nisab and a lunar year has passed over it. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: My father received a residential land plot as a grant from the state in one of the cities of the Kingdom, in the year 1407 AH. He did not dispose of it in any way, nor did he pay zakah on it. He passed away in the year 1409 AH, and the land remained as it was without being divided among the heirs. In the year 1414 AH, all the heirs decided to sell it, and it was indeed sold for the sum of (135,000) one hundred and thirty-five thousand riyals. Since some of the heirs had not reached the age of maturity, we requested permission from the Shari'ah court to sell it. We took ten thousand riyals from the buyer to remain in the real estate office until permission for the sale was granted. The request for permission took a full year.
After the year, the buyer paid the full amount and took possession of the land. Is zakah obligatory on the value of this land for this year? Is it obligatory on the buyer or on us, the heirs? Is it obligatory for the previous years during which it was not paid? Please inform us, may Allah reward you with good, and may He bless your knowledge and benefit all Muslims with it.
A: There is no zakah on you for the land mentioned for the past period; because your father did not intend to sell it before his death, and you did not intend to sell it until the year 1414 AH, and because you did not receive the price and it did not settle in your ownership until a year had passed from the sale. As for after you receive the price of the land, zakah becomes obligatory on you, each of you according to his share, if it reaches the nisab and a lunar year has passed over it. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.