Factors that make Zakaat compulsory

Zakaat on a government bursary

Q: If a person is studying at a university and is funded by a government bursary as well as gets discount by the university but the government bursary only pays fees in January or so, so the student is in debt to the university by the end of year in December, but because the government pays the bursary in January and due to the discount that the university gives there is still an amount left over with the university on the students financial statement stating that the university owes the student some money. So all the years of studies goes on in this way where the excess money left over gets used up completely during the course of the year for fees but by the end of the year the student is in debt and the following year the bursary pays it out and now the university owes the student.

Does the student have to pay zakaat on the left over amount that's reflecting on his financial statement? (Despite this money getting used up during the course of the year completely and despite him not having any access to it) or does he only have to pay zakaat on the money that he has in his possession?

Zakaat for a person whose debts are more than his assets

Q: I have wealth more than nisaab (R50 000) that makes zakaat compulsory upon myself. I took a loan from a relative (R1.2m) to purchase a house. I will be repaying him over monthly installments (R10 000) over the next 10 years. Hence, in essence, my debt is more than my assets.

1. How do I calculate my zakaat?

2. Does this make me a recipient of zakaat?

Zakaat on an empty land

Q: We are three brothers living in one house but due to some clashes a few years back, two of us decided to move out of that house. We bought some land quickly with the intention of building a house on it. But then things settled down with our third brother and now all three of us are living in the same old house.

For the land that we two brothers bought, we have no immediate plan to build a house and it is there just in case one of us loses his job so he may start a business after selling that land.

Do I have to pay to zakaat on that land as I bought it with the intention of building a house but right now we might sell it in the future if anyone’s financial situation becomes tight?