الزكاة والديون
Zakat, money owed and debts
Money owed to you is often counted; money you owe is deducted more or less depending on the opinion.
Calculate my zakat The calculator applies these rules with today’s prices, according to the school you choose.
Money owed to you
- A debt owed by someone able to pay who acknowledges it (a loan to a relative, a salary or an invoice that will be paid): counted every year with your wealth, according to the Hanafi, Shafi‘i and Hanbali schools; you may wait for payment and then settle the past years. In the Maliki school, a loan made by a non-trader is zakated once, for one year, when it is repaid.
- A doubtful debt (a debtor who cannot pay, keeps delaying or denies it): nothing before you receive it. Once the money is recovered, a new year starts according to the Hanafi school, Ibn Baz and the Jeddah Fiqh Academy; you pay for one year according to the Maliki school and Ibn ‘Uthaymin.
- Cancelling a poor person’s debt and counting it as zakat is not enough (agreement of the four schools): you must give them the zakat, and they may then repay you freely.
References Majmu‘ Fatawa Ibn Baz 14/40-43 · al-Sharh al-Mumti‘ 6/27-28 · Majmu‘ al-Fatawa of Ibn Taymiyya 25/84
Money you owe
There are many opinions, and they change the result a great deal for anyone with a loan:
| Opinion | Who | What is deducted |
|---|---|---|
| No debt is deducted | Shafi‘i school (later view); Ibn Baz; Ibn ‘Uthaymin, except a debt that fell due before the zakat date | Nothing |
| All debts | Hanafi and Hanbali schools; Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta; Kuwait Zakat House | All, except (Kuwait Zakat House) debts that financed a non-liable asset such as your home |
| Debts against gold and silver | Maliki school | All, but only from gold, silver and money, and only if you have no other assets to pay them |
| The next 12 months | Diyanet; National Zakat Foundation | Debts and instalments due within 12 months, without interest |
References al-Majmu‘ 5/344 · Majmu‘ Fatawa Ibn Baz 14/187 · Kuwait Zakat House, 19th Symposium (2010), Ahkam pp. 44-45 · Diyanet, fatwa of 12/07/2017
What the calculator does
With no school chosen, it deducts the debts of the next 12 months (bills, rent due, loan instalments without interest): this is the view of today’s institutions, and it is careful towards the poor, since the rest of a long-term loan does not cancel zakat. With the Hanafi or Hanbali school it also deducts the rest of your debts; with the Shafi‘i school, nothing. Debts never reduce the zakat on crops and livestock.
Frequently asked questions
Does my mortgage cancel my zakat?
No, according to most current opinions. At most the instalments of the next 12 months are deducted (Diyanet, NZF), and nothing according to the Shafi‘i school and Ibn Baz. Only the Hanafi and Hanbali schools deduct the whole debt, and the Kuwait Zakat House does not deduct a debt that financed your home.
I lent money to a friend. Do I count it?
If they are able and willing to repay, yes, every year, according to the majority; you may wait until you are repaid to pay it. According to the Maliki school, only once, on repayment.
A calculation aid, not a religious ruling. If in doubt, ask a qualified person.