Essentials of Zakaat Course | Lesson 2 | Mufti Zahid Hussain

The benefactor liable for zakat must be a Muslim, baligh (adult), aqil (sane), free, and possess complete ownership of their assets ▸57:15. For assets to be zakatable, they must meet three conditions: nisaab (a minimum threshold), hawl (the passing of a lunar year), and numuw (growth/potential for growth) ▸57:15.

The obligation of zakat is divided into two categories: nafsul wujub (the initial obligation), which occurs as soon as an individual owns assets reaching the nisaab, and wujubul ada (the obligation of fulfillment), which occurs only after the passing of a lunar year ▸1:30:34. While Hanafi jurisprudence traditionally maintains that each nisaab—gold, silver, trade goods, and livestock—should be kept separate, it is permissible and more beneficial for the poor to merge all assets and calculate the total zakat due at a rate of 2.5% ▸1:30:15.

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Key topics & takeaways

Benefactor conditions

• Benefactor requirements — the person paying zakat must be a Muslim, adult, sane, free, and have complete ownership of their assets ▸57:15

Asset conditions

• Nisaab — the minimum threshold of assets required for zakat to be obligatory ▸57:15
• Hawl — the requirement that a full lunar year must pass while in possession of the nisaab before distribution is mandatory ▸57:15
• Numuw — the requirement that the asset must be of a type that is capable of growth ▸57:15
• Nafsul wujub — the initial obligation that arises the moment an asset reaches the nisaab threshold ▸1:30:48
• Wujubul ada — the obligation to actually distribute the zakat, which only matures after one lunar year has passed ▸1:30:41

Gold and silver

• Gold nisaab — fixed at 20 mithqal, which is equivalent to 87.37 grams ▸57:15
• Silver nisaab — fixed at 200 dirhams, which is equivalent to 611.62 grams ▸57:15
• Method of valuation — gold and silver must be weighed, not valued based on design or craftsmanship ▸1:30:15
• Market price — the value of zakat is determined by the selling price of the asset in the specific location where the asset is held ▸57:15
• Forgiven amounts — amounts exceeding the nisaab but less than one-fifth of the nisaab are considered forgiven and are not subject to zakat ▸57:15
• Merging assets — if a person possesses multiple types of zakatable assets, they should be merged and the nisaab of silver should be used as the threshold ▸1:30:15

Prohibitions and warnings

• Evasion of zakat — it is haram to gift away wealth before the end of the lunar year to avoid the obligation of zakat ▸1:30:15
• Intentional evasion — if the intent behind avoiding zakat is to trick Allah, the act is considered kufr ▸1:30:15
• Voluntary payment — unlike prayer, which has a fixed prescription, it is permissible and rewarding to pay more than the minimum required zakat ▸57:15

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Figures at a glance