Advice to the one who hoards wealth and does not pay its zakah
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
My father hoards a great deal of wealth, silver and paper money, and does not pay its zakah. I advise him and warn him of its punishment, but he does not listen. He is stingy, as far as I can see—and knowledge is with Allah. What is obligatory for me regarding my father? How is the zakah to be paid out, given that he has held it for thirty years? How can I convince him to pay it? If he asks me for money, should I give it to him, or should I refuse, knowing that he wants to hoard it? Is there a sin on my mother if she takes from his money while he is unaware, knowing that he would not approve because of his extreme stinginess—may Allah protect us from that?
Answer:
You must advise him constantly with kind words and a good manner, so that he pays the zakah. If you seek the help of your uncles and maternal uncles to advise him, that is good. You can tell your maternal uncles, paternal uncles, and good neighbors to advise him with kind words and a good manner, perhaps Allah will guide him to pay the zakah.
If you are wealthy, you can say: "O my father, I will pay the zakah on your behalf." If he permits you, you pay it for him—and this is not a small act of dutifulness to your father. If he permits you, and you have wealth, you pay it for him from your own money, acting as his agent, and there is no harm in that, and you are doing good in it. If he dies and you have not paid it for him, and he did not pay it, you pay it after his death. You pay its zakah for the number of years that have passed for this hoarded wealth, paying it on his behalf.
If it is possible to bring his case to the court so that they compel him to do so—if you have evidence of this—and you bring his case to the court so that they compel him, there is no harm in that. In fact, it is obligatory to bring his case so that the court compels him to perform the obligatory duty of paying the zakah on his wealth, or to the Commission for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice.
This is part of cooperating in righteousness and piety, but without filing a complaint. Cooperate with your maternal uncles, paternal uncles, older brothers, and those your father respects. Cooperate with kind words and a good manner so that he pays the zakah. This is better than complaining to the court, and it is better. And if you are able to pay the zakah for him from your own money with his permission, that is even better, and better.
My father hoards a great deal of wealth, silver and paper money, and does not pay its zakah. I advise him and warn him of its punishment, but he does not listen. He is stingy, as far as I can see—and knowledge is with Allah. What is obligatory for me regarding my father? How is the zakah to be paid out, given that he has held it for thirty years? How can I convince him to pay it? If he asks me for money, should I give it to him, or should I refuse, knowing that he wants to hoard it? Is there a sin on my mother if she takes from his money while he is unaware, knowing that he would not approve because of his extreme stinginess—may Allah protect us from that?
Answer:
You must advise him constantly with kind words and a good manner, so that he pays the zakah. If you seek the help of your uncles and maternal uncles to advise him, that is good. You can tell your maternal uncles, paternal uncles, and good neighbors to advise him with kind words and a good manner, perhaps Allah will guide him to pay the zakah.
If you are wealthy, you can say: "O my father, I will pay the zakah on your behalf." If he permits you, you pay it for him—and this is not a small act of dutifulness to your father. If he permits you, and you have wealth, you pay it for him from your own money, acting as his agent, and there is no harm in that, and you are doing good in it. If he dies and you have not paid it for him, and he did not pay it, you pay it after his death. You pay its zakah for the number of years that have passed for this hoarded wealth, paying it on his behalf.
If it is possible to bring his case to the court so that they compel him to do so—if you have evidence of this—and you bring his case to the court so that they compel him, there is no harm in that. In fact, it is obligatory to bring his case so that the court compels him to perform the obligatory duty of paying the zakah on his wealth, or to the Commission for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice.
This is part of cooperating in righteousness and piety, but without filing a complaint. Cooperate with your maternal uncles, paternal uncles, older brothers, and those your father respects. Cooperate with kind words and a good manner so that he pays the zakah. This is better than complaining to the court, and it is better. And if you are able to pay the zakah for him from your own money with his permission, that is even better, and better.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.