The ruling on zakah for one who bought land and did not pay its zakah for several years
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Question:
The second question says: I bought a piece of land eight years ago, and its price has now risen about ten times compared to when I bought it; however, it is not cultivated, and it is vacant land. I would like to know from your eminence: Is zakah obligatory on it? If it is obligatory, how do I determine its amount? Is it obligatory to pay zakah for every year that has passed since I bought it? And if I am unable to pay the zakah for the previous period because there is absolutely no money available due to its large amount and the many children I am raising, what should be done in this case?
Answer:
If the land is for sale, and you are certain that you have prepared it for sale and intended that, then you owe zakah for every year according to its value: the first year has its own value, the second has its own value, and so on. You ask people of expertise about its value each year, and you pay zakah on this land each year according to its value at the completion of the lunar year, according to your ability. If you are in financial difficulty, the matter of zakah is deferred for you until money becomes available to you, then you pay it, or until you sell it, then you pay zakah from its price. This is if you intended it for sale.
As for if you did not intend it for sale, but intended it for residence, or you are undecided and have not made up your mind about anything, or you want to build houses on it for rent or make it a farm, intending to make it a farm, but that has not been facilitated for you; then you owe no zakah. Zakah is only for one who prepares it for sale, who pays zakah on it every year according to its value in each year at the end of the lunar year. And if he is unable to pay zakah, it is deferred for him until he is able to pay it; because of the saying of Allah, the Exalted: [al-Baqarah: 280]. This verse encompasses the right of Allah and the rights of people. Whenever money becomes available to you from a gift, inheritance, or otherwise, you pay the zakah that is due on this land, or you sell it and likewise pay the zakah. Yes.
The presenter: And if he sells it, does he pay zakah for the eight years?
The Shaykh: For all the past years, each year according to its value. It may be that in the first year it is worth, for example, ten thousand, and in the second it is worth fifteen thousand, and in the third it is worth twenty thousand, and so on, each year according to its calculation. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah bless you.
The second question says: I bought a piece of land eight years ago, and its price has now risen about ten times compared to when I bought it; however, it is not cultivated, and it is vacant land. I would like to know from your eminence: Is zakah obligatory on it? If it is obligatory, how do I determine its amount? Is it obligatory to pay zakah for every year that has passed since I bought it? And if I am unable to pay the zakah for the previous period because there is absolutely no money available due to its large amount and the many children I am raising, what should be done in this case?
Answer:
If the land is for sale, and you are certain that you have prepared it for sale and intended that, then you owe zakah for every year according to its value: the first year has its own value, the second has its own value, and so on. You ask people of expertise about its value each year, and you pay zakah on this land each year according to its value at the completion of the lunar year, according to your ability. If you are in financial difficulty, the matter of zakah is deferred for you until money becomes available to you, then you pay it, or until you sell it, then you pay zakah from its price. This is if you intended it for sale.
As for if you did not intend it for sale, but intended it for residence, or you are undecided and have not made up your mind about anything, or you want to build houses on it for rent or make it a farm, intending to make it a farm, but that has not been facilitated for you; then you owe no zakah. Zakah is only for one who prepares it for sale, who pays zakah on it every year according to its value in each year at the end of the lunar year. And if he is unable to pay zakah, it is deferred for him until he is able to pay it; because of the saying of Allah, the Exalted:
And if someone is in hardship, then [let there be] postponement until [a time of] ease
وَإِنْ كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَى مَيْسَرَةٍThe presenter: And if he sells it, does he pay zakah for the eight years?
The Shaykh: For all the past years, each year according to its value. It may be that in the first year it is worth, for example, ten thousand, and in the second it is worth fifteen thousand, and in the third it is worth twenty thousand, and so on, each year according to its calculation. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah bless you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.