Zakaat

Q: If a man is in debt (for example R100 000 debt), is he allowed to accept zakaat to pay off the debt?

Bear in mind that the man has no assets in his name (his father has assets such as properties and a business, but the son himself has no wealth or assets). The debt is in the name of the business that the father owns, but the responsibility of the debt is the son's (the father is unaware of the debt). The son however, is in possession of stock to the value of his debt, but the stock is not selling. Can the son receive zakaat in order to pay off his debts?

Q: Can I do charity on behalf of someone else without telling him or her?

Q: A Muslim man bumped into my car. He gave me the round around for 2 months. He eventually agreed to pay the panelbeater. Now he has excluded the vat amount. When I asked him for the vat amount he refused then says he will give me the vat amount as zakaat.

The full invoice of the panelbeater is what is supposed to be paid. He wants to now make it a zakaat thing thinking that I wont take it on hearing that it's zakaat. What is the ruling as the full amount is what had to be paid in the agreement of fixing me car?

Q: I would like to give charity to my cousin who is really poor but my mum doesn't get along with them and told me not to give it. Is it wrong to give them because it would upset my mum. Plus this is not zakat money but sadaqah.

Q: Recently my husband and I received a lot of money as gifts for our wedding. My zakaat due date is coming up soon. Since the money was given to both, me and my husband, do I need to take into consideration all of it or half of it when calculating my zakaat?

Q: I have about 25 tola gold۔ I want to know the zakaat in rupees.

Q: If a pension is released to an employee at the time of retirement and according to statutory law you can only cash in 1/3 of it, while the remaining 2/3 has to be re-invested in a similar fund (money never coming into your hands of the retiree) directly being re-invested on behalf of the retiree to receive a monthly pension from the investment. What are the zakaat implications on the following:

1. Is zakaat payable on the 1/3, if the retiree opt to take the 1/3?

2. Is zakaat payable on the 1/3 if the retiree opt NOT to take the 1/3?

3. Is zakaat payable on the remaining portion of the reinvested amount?

4. Is zakaat payable on the monthly income derived from the re-invested amount?

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.

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?