Answered by Shaykh Yūsuf Badāt
Question:
What is the Islamic ruling of 3 kinds of debts and paying zakāh?
Answer:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Jazāk Allāh Khayr/ Thank you for contacting Mathābah Institute.
The three types of dept or money owing are as follows:
- Qawī: A loan or amount owing which is very certain to be returned.
- Mutawassiṭ: A loan or amount owing which is likely to be returned.
- Ḍa’īf: A loan or amount which is unlikely or will not be returned.
Zakāt is mandatory upon an individual who is owed money in any and all of the above categories. However, in qawī debt, zakāh should be discharged immediately when one’s zakāh is due for the year even if the loan amount has not been returned as yet. In mutawassiṭ debt, one should discharge zakāh upon receiving any portion of the loan amount. In ḍa’īf debt, zakāh does not have to be discharged unless one actually receives the owed amount. – (See: Rad Al-Muḥtār, Vol 2, Page 305, Dār Al-Fikr[1])
Only Allāh knows best
[1] وَ اعْلَمْ أَنَّ الدُّيُونَ عِنْدَ الْإِمَامِ ثَلَاثَةٌ قَوِيٌّ وَمُتَوَسِّطٌ وَضَعِيفٌ فَتَجِبُ زَكَاتُهَا إذَا تَمَّ نِصَابًا وَحَالَ الْحَوْلُ لَكِنْ لَا فَوْرًا بَلْ عِنْدَ قَبْضِ أَرْبَعِينَ دِرْهَمًا مِنْ الدَّيْنِ الْقَوِيِّ كَقَرْضٍ وَبَدَلِ مَالِ تِجَارَةٍ فَكُلَّمَا قَبَضَ أَرْبَعِينَ دِرْهَمًا يَلْزَمُهُ دِرْهَمٌ وَ عِنْدَ قَبْضِ مِائَتَيْنِ مِنْهُ لِغَيْرِهَا أَيْ مِنْ بَدَلِ مَالٍ لِغَيْرِ تِجَارَةٍ وَهُوَ الْمُتَوَسِّطُ كَثَمَنِ سَائِمَةٍ وَعَبِيدِ خِدْمَةٍ وَنَحْوِهِمَا مِمَّا هُوَ مَشْغُولٌ بِحَوَائِجِهِ الْأَصْلِيَّةِ كَطَعَامٍ وَشَرَابٍ وَأَمْلَاكٍ وَيُعْتَبَرُ مَا مَضَى مِنْ الْحَوْلِ قَبْلَ– كتاب الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ج٢/ ص٣٠٥ دار الفكر