Is zakah obligatory on the inherited share of children that the bank has withheld from them until they reach maturity?
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The questioner : My wife passed away and left a sum of money deposited in her account at one of the Islamic banks. The amount is divided among the children, the husband, and the parents. The bank has suspended the release of the children's share until the children reach the age of maturity. The question is: Is zakah obligatory on the children's share that the bank has withheld? Is it obligatory on the total amount as a whole, or on the share of each child individually? Please note that the amount belonging to the children is approximately four thousand and five hundred Egyptian pounds, with each child’s share being approximately one thousand pounds. If zakah is obligatory, is it paid for each year from now on, or is it paid all at once after the funds are released in the future?
The Shaykh : The correct opinion among the scholars is that zakah is obligatory on the wealth of a minor and a person of unsound mind. This is because zakah is a right due on the wealth, as Allah the Exalted said:[At-Tawbah 9:103] And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Mu'adh ibn Jabal when he sent him to Yemen: Sahih al-Bukhari 1395 Accordingly, zakah is obligatory on the wealth of these orphaned minors. However, if the money is in the bank and they have been prevented from accessing it and are unable to withdraw it from the bank, then there is no zakah on them for as long as the bank holds it, because they are unable to benefit from their wealth. It is like a debt owed by a person who is unable to pay. Once they receive it from the bank, they will pay zakah on it only once, for a single year.
The Shaykh : The correct opinion among the scholars is that zakah is obligatory on the wealth of a minor and a person of unsound mind. This is because zakah is a right due on the wealth, as Allah the Exalted said:
