Factors that make Zakaat compulsory

Zakaat on empty plots

Q: I have query on zakaat for land plots. I live overseas. I don’t own any home in my home country nor overseas. I have a total 9 plots in my home country as per below. Currently, I do not have any intention to sell these plots, unless until in future if I need cash/funds for my kids (a son and a daughter) higher education, marriage, home construction or any emergency. Kindly advise if zakaat is payable on any of these plots (and what percent is payable).

Plot #1 & 2: These are two residential plots. We plan that whenever we go back to our home country, we will construct our home on these two plots.

Plot #3: I have intention to build a home on this and gift it to my daughter on her marriage.

Plot #4 & 5: If I have finance available in future, I will construct homes and will put these for rental income (my retirement income plan). Or if my sister wants to live in one of them, she can take one.

Plot #6 & 7: There are two options in my mind:

(a) To buy land (and construct a home) near my parents in law home (this area is expensive). So I may sell these two plots (6&7) in order to purchase a new land near my parents in law place. If I go for this option, I will not construct a home on the above said plot 1&2. However, possibility of this option (a) is low, as it requires a lot more financing.

(b) If I have finance available in future, I will construct homes and will put these properties for rental income (my retirement income plan).

Plot #8 & 9: A residential and a commercial plot. It is currently new city development in progress and it is expected to be future business hub in next 1 or 2 decades. So in case, if I or my son in future need to move/live in this new city (for job/business purposes), so we can use these plots for ourselves living/business.

Zakaat on property

Q: I work in Saudi Arabia. I purchased one plot in India in 2011 with the intention of constructing a house or selling it later. Another plot I purchased in 2015 with the intention to build a house. Till now I did not start construction on any one of these two plots. Do I have to pay zakaat for these two plots?

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?