Paying Zakah in Ramadan Before the Completion of the Lunar Year
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good. This questioner says: Many people do not pay the zakah on their wealth except in the month of Ramadan, even though the lunar year may have passed on their wealth before Ramadan. What is the ruling? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
It is obligatory to pay the zakah when the lunar year has passed. Whenever the year is completed, it becomes obligatory to pay the zakah. Zakah is annual. When the year is completed, it is obligatory to pay the zakah. If one pays it early, there is no harm. However, delaying it is not allowed. But paying it early is fine. For example, if the year ends in Ramadan and one pays it in Rajab, Sha'ban, or Jumada because there are poor people in need, paying it to them early is fine. As for delaying it, that is only for a valid reason. If one delays it for a reason, such as not finding poor people to seek them out, or having important wealth in another place that needs to be brought, then if there is a reason and dire necessity, delaying it is fine. However, if one is able, one must hasten and rush to pay the zakah after the year has passed. It does not harm if it is delayed by a week or two; a few days do not harm. Yes. Yes.
The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good. This questioner says:
The Shaykh:
And he does not take anything except the amount for Ramadan; he does not take it. If the lunar year completes in Rajab, he pays in Rajab; if in Jumada, in Jumada, and so on. Yes.
Another questioner:
This questioner says:
The Shaykh:
Rather, he delayed Ramadan for a short period, which does not cause harm. Yes.
May Allah reward you with good. This questioner says: Many people do not pay the zakah on their wealth except in the month of Ramadan, even though the lunar year may have passed on their wealth before Ramadan. What is the ruling? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh:
It is obligatory to pay the zakah when the lunar year has passed. Whenever the year is completed, it becomes obligatory to pay the zakah. Zakah is annual. When the year is completed, it is obligatory to pay the zakah. If one pays it early, there is no harm. However, delaying it is not allowed. But paying it early is fine. For example, if the year ends in Ramadan and one pays it in Rajab, Sha'ban, or Jumada because there are poor people in need, paying it to them early is fine. As for delaying it, that is only for a valid reason. If one delays it for a reason, such as not finding poor people to seek them out, or having important wealth in another place that needs to be brought, then if there is a reason and dire necessity, delaying it is fine. However, if one is able, one must hasten and rush to pay the zakah after the year has passed. It does not harm if it is delayed by a week or two; a few days do not harm. Yes. Yes.
The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good. This questioner says:
The Shaykh:
And he does not take anything except the amount for Ramadan; he does not take it. If the lunar year completes in Rajab, he pays in Rajab; if in Jumada, in Jumada, and so on. Yes.
Another questioner:
This questioner says:
The Shaykh:
Rather, he delayed Ramadan for a short period, which does not cause harm. Yes.
Source
فتاوى المسجد الحرام (شعبان ١٤١٧ هـ) - ٧ — archive.org (23:23)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.