Factors that make Zakaat compulsory

Paying zakaat on one's contribution towards a provident fund

Q: At my previous job, some years back there was a provident fund which I contributed a certain percentage and the company contributed a certain percentage. However after I left that job I forgot about that money and now while trying to take it out from the fund, I am experiencing difficulties as many years passed by and the account became redundant. Do I have to pay zakaat on that amount.

Zakaat on outstanding payment

Q: I had an agreement with a government department since 2004 to supply them with parts (quantity of 30) and they took 15 parts from me in 2005. They did not pay the amount for the 15 parts. The remaining quantity was held up in our stock.

After about 14 years, now they picked up the remaing quantity of 15 parts, and then they paid the whole amount of 30 parts.

Is zakaat due on this money when it is received? Or is zakaat due on the last 14 years?

Zakaat on a property purchased

Q: I purchased a house five years back using our company's house loan policy. After five years the company offered us to take the top-up on the loan based on the current market value of the house. Now with that top up money I purchased another plot.

My question is; do I need to pay zakaat on the land I had purchased? If yes then what is the method, should I take the current market value of the plot for calculating zakaat or should I take the amount I paid as an installment against the top up?

What is considered as Hawaaij-e-asliyyah?

Q: A person has only R1000 in cash but he has 7 cars. He uses one every day of the week.

Does he have to pay sadaqatul fitr, make Qurbani, and cannot receive zakaat because of these cars? He is using them however.

In Behishti Zewar the same type of thing is mentioned for furniture and clothing etc., that as long as he is using the clothes and furniture it will be considered to be from his needs. Does it matter if he has 100 pairs of clothing and 100 cupboards, 10 cars, but uses them? Will this still be considered as his needs, and thus can still accept zakaat? Or do we look at the fact that he only needs one car actually, thus the rest will be above his basic needs.

This would then mean we would have to say the same for clothing and furniture. Or is it correct to say that as long as he uses the items regularly then they will be classified as his needs, no matter how many cars etc he has. If so, How regularly would he need to use the items?

Zakaat on savings

Q: My question is related to zakat. If a divorced women with one dependant child is not working, and has a saving for her daughter's university education, does zakat apply on that amount of savings? Is this woman, who has no support, liable to pay zakat?

Zakaat on lost items

Q: I have to pay zakat for the previous year on some date in January and sometime ago I lost some of my gold. They were misplaced and one top went into the gutter. So do I need to pay zakat of the prev year on january for the misplaced items and what about the one which is gone into the gutter?