Answered by: Imam Abdul-Malik Sheikh
Question
A lady had gold and cash totaling $3500. She has to owe her dad $4000 whenever. Does she have to give Zakat?
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
In order for Zakat to become obligatory, a person needs to have savings that exceed the Nisab. The Nisāb is the minimum amount, which makes Zakat obligatory. The Nisab of gold is twenty mithqals or Dinars which is 87.48 grams. The Nisab of silver is two hundred dirhams which are 612.35 grams. Cash savings can be added to the gold and silver.
The person has to have possession of the Zakatable wealth for a lunar year from when it reaches the Nisab threshold. However, if the amount you possess falls short of the Nisab threshold after paying off liabilities, such as debts, then there is no Zakat for him to pay.
If after deducting all the liabilities from the wealth in one’s possession, the amount reaches the Zakat Nisab threshold then Zakat will need to be paid.
So in answer to your question, the lady owes more than what she possesses, therefore there is no Zakat on her.
Reference:
Al-Ikhtiyār Fi Talīl al -Mukhtār, Vol.1, p.100, Matba’ah al-Halabi, Cairo
Only Allah knows best
Written by Imam Abdul-Malik Sheikh
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham