The Ruling on Advancing Zakah or Delaying It Until Ramadan

Question:
Perhaps we can move on to another topic related to fasting, where some Muslims time their zakah for this blessed month and may commit to doing so in pursuit of the virtue of paying zakah in this noble month. First, regarding the ruling on committing to pay zakah in this month, whether to advance it or because the lunar year has already passed, what is the ruling, Honorable Shaykh?

Answer:
If the lunar year has completed before Ramadan, it is obligatory for him to pay the zakah immediately, and it is not permissible to delay it until Ramadan; because this deprives the poor of their right. The poor person’s need may exist before Ramadan, so why delay meeting his need until Ramadan while he remains in his poverty and destitution until Ramadan arrives? This is one aspect.
The second aspect is that his conscience is burdened by this obligation, which is paying the zakah, so he must clear his conscience immediately.
A third aspect is that Allah commanded the giving of zakah. He, Exalted and Majestic is He, said: The command implies immediacy according to the majority of scholars of legal theory. The command implies immediacy. For these reasons, he pays the zakah at its due time, unless there is a greater need in Ramadan, where there are poor people in Ramadan who are in greater need than the poor people before Ramadan. In that case, it is permissible to delay it due to extreme poverty or extreme need. As for the virtue, the virtue lies in paying it when it becomes obligatory. The virtue lies in paying it when it becomes obligatory. If he wants to give charity in Ramadan and obtain the reward of charity, he has the door of voluntary charity, voluntary charity and donations. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah bless you, Honorable Shaykh,