Q: Does a woman have to pay zakat on her gold even if her and her husband do not have enough cash over the nisab? i.e. does she have to sell some gold and pay separately? الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومنه الصدق والصواب A: If the gold, individually or in conjunction with other zakatable assets from […]
Read more...Author: alqalam
Is it permissible to take an offset mortgage?
Q: Many conventional banks have products called ‘Offset’ Mortgages. These are mortgages whereby: If i have a mortgage of 50K and savings of 50K the savings offsets the interest on the remaining mortgage value. So in the above case 50K mortgage, 50K savings means zero interest. Hence, is it permitted to take a conventional mortgage whereby […]
Read more...Is Zakat due on inheritance that is not received until a few years have passed?
Q: A man passes away leaving a wife and three children. The process of sorting out his estate takes 2-3 years in which time the family does not know exactly how much has been left behind and therefore they don’t know how much the are entitled to. Eventually the funds are received by the respective […]
Read more...Is it permissible for an organisation that collects and distributes zakat to use zakat income to cover costs that are incurred directly as a result of the zakat distribution process?
Q: Is it permissible for an organisation or charity that collects and distributes zakat funds to use zakat income to cover costs that are incurred directly as a result of the zakat distribution process, e.g. salaries of caseworkers or fieldworkers, IT systems to manage data in relation to recipients of zakat, office space for zakat […]
Read more...How can I subtract oustanding debts from my zakatable assets when the exact amount is unknown?
Q: I would like to find out what I should do in a situation where in I owe money to a few organisations but I don’t know how much as I owe this money was due years ago, do I take a rough calculation and subtract it from the nisab? الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه […]
Read more...Is the final salary/defined benefit scheme permissible?
Q: I am a teacher in a secondary and one thing that is offered to all teachers is the Teacher Pension scheme. such a scheme or any pension scheme deemed as halal, would it be better to opt-out of such schemes? It is the teacher pension scheme offered by the government. Each month an amount […]
Read more...Is it acceptable to take a shari’ah compliant loan arranged by the Financing Sharia Enterprise?
Q: The government backed Start Up Loans Company is offering a shariah compliant loan to customers wanting a halal alternative. The shariah compliant loan is being arranged by the Financing Sharia Enterprise and from their website it appears they are using the Mudaraba system. Is this acceptable according to shari’ah? الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه […]
Read more...Does Zakah need to be paid on maternity pay that may need returning?
Q: Does Zakah need to be paid on maternity pay that may need returning if one can’t go back to work and hence has been kept aside? الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب A: Once maternity pay is received the recipient becomes owner of the same. As it is not a loan it will […]
Read more...For zakat purposes, how might we interpret ‘fi sabeelillah’ in the modern context?
Q: How might we interpret fi sabeelillah in the modern context? Could this include campaigning or advocacy activities – for example, raising awareness about Islamic teachings on poverty issues, dispelling misperceptions about Islam, speaking out on international justice issues etc. الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب A: Whilst the literal meaning of fi sabilillah […]
Read more...Is it necessary for Zakat to be allocated and spent within 1 year of receiving the donation?
Q: What is the time-period for dispensing Zakat? Is it necessary for Zakat to be allocated and spent within 1 year of receiving the donation? الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب A: Zakat should be distributed as soon as possible. If there are procedural delays in the PROPER discharge of zakat which includes proprietary […]
Read more...What are the Islamic rules regarding ownership of Gifts for Inheritance Tax purposes?
Q: In the UK, it is possible through a UK inheritance tax law, known as the 7 year rule for a mother to transfer ownership of a home to her son. The idea is that when the transfer is made, the individual who gifts the property has to live for 7 years for there to […]
Read more...Is one regarded as sinful for delaying the paying of zakat to such an extent that a year passes?
Q: My zakat is calculated yearly on 16th Sha’ban. This year for example, it was £500. My habit is to split the £500 into 11 monthly payments. My aim is to pay the zakat £500 before the next years Sha’ban. However, sometimes I budget and maybe miss a few months. Thus for example by 16th […]
Read more...