Zakaah

Q. What is Zakaah?

A. Zakaah is the part of wealth which is given away for the possession and use of poor people, according to Allâh’s order. Just as prayers and fasting are bodily worship, Zakaah is worship through one’s property.

Q. Is Zakaah a fard or waajib?

A. It is fard. The verses of the Holy Qur’aan and the ahaadeeth of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) are full of evidences of zakaah being fard. One who denies the zakaah as being fard is a kaafir.

Q. What are the conditions for Zakaah being fard?

A. One should be a Muslim, free, sane, adult, and owner of sufficient amount of property (called the nisaab). This nisaab should be free from debts and one’s personal requirements. One year at least should have elapsed on the ownership of the nisaab.

Thus, Zakaah is not fard on the property of a kaafir, slave, an insane person, or a minor child. If someone has property less than that which is liable for zakaah, or if it is enough for zakaah but there is debt on it, or the nisaab has not been in ownership for one year, zakaah will not be fard in these conditions.