Answered by: Maulana Nabil Khan
Question
I have a question regarding zakat. I bought a house 8 years ago and was living there peacefully until my elder son started misbehaving under the influence of bad friends. So we decided to move from that area and took equity from the house and bought a townhouse in another area a year ago and moved there and rented our old house. Now I am concerned about how to calculate the zakat in this case as I have to pay the mortgages of two houses and equity. Also, I have 10 tolas of gold. Could you please advise me?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
There is no requirement to pay zakat on your current personal residence. As for your second property if you have no intention to sell then it is not currently a zakatable asset. If you rent it out then you should pay zakat on the rent acquired. In regards to your mortgages, you can calculate the total principal amount paid within the year and deduct that as a liability. Note that the interest amount cannot be deducted as a liability.
Your 10 totals of gold may be zakatable if your total assets reach above the amount of nisab. You should have all your assets calculated with a local Imam or through a reputable Zakat organization.
Reference:
Al-Badai’ Al-Sana’i Volume 2 pg 415
Only Allah knows best
Written by Maulana Nabil Khan
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham