What is the ruling on paying zakat al-mal before its time or after the hawl by a short period?
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The questioner : We conclude the questions of the listener Abdul Latif from Riyadh with his last question, which is: What is the ruling on paying zakat al-mal before its time or after the hawl by a short period?
The Shaykh : Or after the hawl, there is no early payment.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Paying zakat before it becomes obligatory is permissible, provided that the early payment is for existing wealth, meaning that the nisab is complete. If one pays the nisab before it is complete, it is not valid because the zakat has not yet become obligatory. If a person has wealth and sees that he should pay his zakat early for some reason, there is no blame on him for doing so. In fact, if the public benefit requires paying it early, then paying it early is among the praiseworthy matters that are sought.
However, the scholars say that it should not be paid early for more than two hawl periods, not more than that. For example, if you have zakat for the year 1409 that becomes due in the month of Muharram, and the other zakat becomes due in the month of Muharram of the year 1410, and the other zakat becomes due in Muharram of the year 1411, it is permissible for you to pay the zakat for 1409 and the zakat for 1410 early, but it is not permissible to pay the zakat for the year 1412 early. It is permissible to expedite the zakat for two hawl periods only. As for delaying it beyond the time it becomes obligatory, it is not permissible; rather, one must hasten to pay it, because a person does not know what may befall him. He may die and this zakat be forgotten, or his heirs may be negligent with it, or there may be obstacles and circumstances that arise and stand between the person and paying the zakat. However, if he delays it in order to look into the recipients because he does not know the eligible recipients from the first time the zakat becomes obligatory, and this is common in large amounts of wealth, meaning in wealth whose zakat is large, then a person may not be able to distribute this large amount of zakat at the first time it becomes obligatory. In that case, there is no blame in determining the amount of the zakat, recording it, and paying it out little by little. If in such a situation he opens a special account for the zakat with one of those who accept such things, there is no blame in opening an account for the purpose of transferring to it. For example, if he estimates that his zakat is five hundred thousand, for instance, and he is unable to distribute it at the first time the zakat becomes obligatory, then in this situation he places this zakat with a person and takes documents from him for transferring to him, and he transfers to him whenever he finds someone eligible for the zakat. This is better than the person paying and performing the zakat even to those who are not eligible for it, because if a person pays the zakat to those who are not eligible for it, it is not accepted from him, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Tawbah 9:60]. Yes.
The questioner : Thank you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah magnify your reward.
The Shaykh : Or after the hawl, there is no early payment.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Paying zakat before it becomes obligatory is permissible, provided that the early payment is for existing wealth, meaning that the nisab is complete. If one pays the nisab before it is complete, it is not valid because the zakat has not yet become obligatory. If a person has wealth and sees that he should pay his zakat early for some reason, there is no blame on him for doing so. In fact, if the public benefit requires paying it early, then paying it early is among the praiseworthy matters that are sought.
However, the scholars say that it should not be paid early for more than two hawl periods, not more than that. For example, if you have zakat for the year 1409 that becomes due in the month of Muharram, and the other zakat becomes due in the month of Muharram of the year 1410, and the other zakat becomes due in Muharram of the year 1411, it is permissible for you to pay the zakat for 1409 and the zakat for 1410 early, but it is not permissible to pay the zakat for the year 1412 early. It is permissible to expedite the zakat for two hawl periods only. As for delaying it beyond the time it becomes obligatory, it is not permissible; rather, one must hasten to pay it, because a person does not know what may befall him. He may die and this zakat be forgotten, or his heirs may be negligent with it, or there may be obstacles and circumstances that arise and stand between the person and paying the zakat. However, if he delays it in order to look into the recipients because he does not know the eligible recipients from the first time the zakat becomes obligatory, and this is common in large amounts of wealth, meaning in wealth whose zakat is large, then a person may not be able to distribute this large amount of zakat at the first time it becomes obligatory. In that case, there is no blame in determining the amount of the zakat, recording it, and paying it out little by little. If in such a situation he opens a special account for the zakat with one of those who accept such things, there is no blame in opening an account for the purpose of transferring to it. For example, if he estimates that his zakat is five hundred thousand, for instance, and he is unable to distribute it at the first time the zakat becomes obligatory, then in this situation he places this zakat with a person and takes documents from him for transferring to him, and he transfers to him whenever he finds someone eligible for the zakat. This is better than the person paying and performing the zakat even to those who are not eligible for it, because if a person pays the zakat to those who are not eligible for it, it is not accepted from him, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.
إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقاتُ لِلفُقَراءِ وَالمَساكينِ وَالعامِلينَ عَلَيها وَالمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلوبُهُم وَفِي الرِّقابِ وَالغارِمينَ وَفي سَبيلِ اللَّهِ وَابنِ السَّبيلِ فَريضَةً مِنَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ عَليمٌ حَكيمٌThe questioner : Thank you, O honorable Shaykh, and may Allah magnify your reward.