Assalamu alaikum I have a question pertaining to zakat: 1. i took student loans whilst at university, which now amounts to £13000, which is payable once i earn over £15k. I have currently a total of £7000 in cash and in my bank. I do not earn 15k at present, so i am not paying e loan off? Do i pay zakat? 2. I have been paying zakat over the past 5 years, although i think i have been in a similar situation like what i have mentioned above. Is it wrong that i have been paying zakat? I was paying zakat on the assumption that due to the loan is not to be paid until i earn 15k, its not necessary to consider it as debt. Jzk
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullaahi wa-barakaatuh.
The student loan is £13000 and is payable once you earn over £15000. You only have £7000. The student loan is more than what you have.
In principle, when a debt is more than the amount you have, there is no zakaah binding upon you. This is irrespective of the debt being payable immediately or later in due time[1]. The amount you were paying in the past few years as zakaah will be regarded as sadaqah and not zakaah.
It should be noted that this fatwaa is pertaining to personal loans and not commercial loans in which case only the debt payable for that year is deductible as a liability.
And Allaah Ta’aala Knows Best.
Muajul I. Chowdhury
Student, Darul Iftaa
Astoria, New York, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
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[1] بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (3/ 390)
ومنها أن لا يكون عليه دين مطالب به من جهة العباد عندنا فإن كان فإنه يمنع وجوب الزكاة بقدره حالا كان أو مؤجلا ، وعند الشافعي هذا ليس بشرط ، والدين لا يمنع وجوب الزكاة كيفما كان احتج الشافعي بعمومات الزكاة من غير فصل ، ولأن سبب وجوب الزكاة ملك النصاب ، وشرطه أن يكون معدا للتجارة ، أو للإسامة وقد وجد .
البحر الرائق شرح كنز الدقائق (5/ 417)
وشرط فراغه عن الدين ؛ لأنه معه مشغول بحاجته الأصلية فاعتبر معدوما كالماء المستحق بالعطش ، ولأن الزكاة تحل مع ثبوت يده على ماله فلم تجب عليه الزكاة كالمكاتب ولأن الدين يوجب نقصان الملك ؛ ولذا يأخذه الغريم إذا كان من جنس دينه من غير قضاء ، ولا رضا أطلقه فشمل الحال والمؤجل
تبيين الحقائق شرح كنز الدقائق (3/ 254)
ولا فرق في الدين بين المؤجل والحال والمراد بالدين دين له مطالب من جهة العباد
امداد الاحكام (2/ 28)
محمود الفتاوى (2/ 37)