Q: Do I have to pay zakāh on money that I have only had in my possession for 2 months?
I am a retired government servant and receive a pension. Besides this, the only other source of my income is rent I receive from a house. I live in another house which I own. I calculate my Zakāh on the 1st of Ramadhan. I receive my yearly advance of rent on 01 June every year which I did this year too. The month of Ramadhan this year started on 02 Aug. Before the start of Ramadhan this year I bought a car (as I did not have one) and married my daughter, the two main areas of expenditure.
I am now left with an amount which would barely suffice, including my pension, to meet my household expenses for the year till June next when I would receive my next year rent.
My question mainly pertains to calculation of Zakāh on the money I have in the bank which is there only for a couple of months, as against one Lunar month on which Zakāh becomes due. Should I calculate Zakāh on the amount in bank or since it was with me for only two or three months and hence it is Zakātable, besides, of course, that it would barely suffice for my usual household expenses?
الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب
A: If your zakāh anniversary is on the first of Ramadan then you need to calculate all your zakātable assets including the money in the bank and pay zakāh on the cumulative amount even though the money in the bank may only have been with you for two or three months.
And Allah knows best.
Mufti Mohammed Zubair Butt
Chair, Al-Qalam Shariah Scholars Panel
Mohammed Zubair Butt