Answered by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed
Translated by Shaykh Hamza Karamali, SunniPath Academy Teacher
Zayd gives `Amr $1000 to safeguard while he goes on a journey, and `Amr opens up a bank account in which he deposits the money. The bank account has no other money in it apart from the money that Zayd gave to `Amr to safeguard. Is it obligatory on `Amr to pay zakat on the money after he has had it under his care for a year? If so, when does the zakat year begin?
Not only is it not obligatory on the trustee–i.e., `Amr–to pay zakat on the money that he has been entrusted with, it is not even permissible for him to do so, because the money is neither his property, nor is he a legal guardian over the money. He is merely someone who is keeping a trust. The only case when the trustee may pay zakat on the money is when the depositor–i.e., Zayd–explicitly commissions him to do so.
الجواب: لا يجب على الوديع وهو عمرو في هذا السؤال إخراجُ زكاة المال المودَع عنده، بل ليس له ذلك؛ إذ المالُ ليس ملكه ولا هو وليٌّ عليه، وإنما هو أمين في حفظه فحسب، إلا إن وكَّله المودِعُ بإخراج زكاة ماله فله ذلك، وليس له حينئذٍ أن يعجِّل الزكاة؛ لأنه لا مصلحةَ للموكل في ذلك، إلا إن وكَّله بتعجيلها. والواجبُ عليه إخراجُ زكاة المال هو مالكُ المال ووليُّ المحجور عليه، ويبدأ الحولُ بمجرَّد بلوغ المال نصاباً سواء كان هذا عند صاحب المال أو عند الوديع.