Is it permissible to pay zakah a year in advance?

Question : A second question, Shaykh. Yes. Is it permissible to pay zakah in advance? That is, a person has a certain amount of money on which a specific amount of zakah is due at the end of the lunar year, but some people are in need of assistance. Is it possible to give to them before the completion of the lunar year, and have this count as zakah? Yes.

Answer : Yes, this is permissible. If a need arises during the year and he pays the zakah for the coming year in advance, there is no harm in that.