Zakat of Misplaced Wealth, Loans and Borrowed

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع مَا تَقُولُ فِي رَجُلٍ كَانَ لَهُ مَالٌ فَانْطَلَقَ بِهِ فَدَفَنَهُ فِي مَوْضِعٍ فَلَمَّا حَالَ عَلَيْهِ الْحَوْلُ ذَهَبَ لِيُخْرِجَهُ مِنْ مَوْضِعِهِ فَاحْتَفَرَ الْمَوْضِعَ الَّذِي ظَنَّ أَنَّ الْمَالَ فِيهِ مَدْفُونٌ فَلَمْ يُصِبْهُ فَمَكَثَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ ثَلَاثَ سِنِينَ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ احْتَفَرَ الْمَوْضِعَ الَّذِي مِنْ جَوَانِبِهِ كُلِّهِ فَوَقَعَ عَلَى الْمَالِ بِعَيْنِهِ كَيْفَ يُزَكِّي

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about a man who buries a certain amount of his wealth in a certain place and after one year goes to find out. He searches and digs around in the area but fails to find it. He then after three years goes to search again and finds the amount of wealth that was lost. He (the Imam) said, ‘H

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَغِيبُ عَنْهُ مَالُهُ خَمْسَ سِنِينَ ثُمَّ يَأْتِيهِ فَلَا يُرَدُّ رَأْسُ الْمَالِ كَمْ يُزَكِّيهِ قَالَ سَنَةً وَاحِدَةً[2].

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man whose wealth remains lost for five years. He then finds it and does not reject the capital. How much Zakat is he required to pay? He (the Imam) said, ‘He pays one year’s Zakat only.’”

لَيْسَ فِي الدَّيْنِ زَكَاةٌ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ صَاحِبُ الدَّيْنِ هُوَ الَّذِي يُؤَخِّرُهُ فَإِذَا كَانَ لَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَى أَخْذِهِ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ زَكَاةٌ حَتَّى يَقْبِضَهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Zakat is not due on loan unless the lender delays acceptance of payment. If he is not able to achieve payment, then Zakat is not due until payment is received.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ‌[3] عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ لَهُ الدَّيْنُ عَلَى النَّاسِ يَحْتَبِسُ‌[4] فِيهِ الزَّكَاةَ قَالَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ فِيهِ زَكَاةٌ حَتَّى يَقْبِضَهُ فَإِذَا قَبَضَهُ فَعَلَيْهِ‌ الزَّكَاةُ وَ إِنْ هُوَ طَالَ حَبْسُهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ حَتَّى يَتِمَّ لِذَلِكَ سِنُونَ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ زَكَاةٌ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَرَجَ زَكَّاهُ لِعَامِهِ ذَلِكَ وَ إِنْ هُوَ كَانَ يَأْخُذُ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا قَلِيلًا فَلْيُزَكّ

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about a man to whom people owe loans and do not pay. Is there Zakat on such loans? He (the Imam) said, ‘Zakat is not due until he receives payment. Once he receives payment, there is Zakat on him. If he does not receive payment and it remains for many years, still Zakat is not due o

إِنْ كَانَ الَّذِي أَقْرَضَهُ يُؤَدِّي زَكَاتَهُ فَلَا زَكَاةَ عَلَيْهِ وَ إِنْ كَانَ لَا يُؤَدِّي أَدَّى الْمُسْتَقْرِضُ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who borrows a certain amount of wealth and it remains with him for one year. He (the Imam) said, ‘If the person from whom he has borrowed pays Zakat for such wealth then Zakat is not due on the borrower but if the lender does not pay then he (the borrower) pays Zakat for

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع رَجُلٌ دَفَعَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مَالًا قَرْضاً عَلَى مَنْ زَكَاتُهُ عَلَى الْمُقْرِضِ أَوْ عَلَى الْمُقْتَرِضِ قَالَ لَا بَلْ زَكَاتُهَا إِنْ كَانَتْ مَوْضُوعَةً عِنْدَهُ حَوْلًا عَلَى الْمُقْتَرِضِ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَلَيْسَ عَلَى الْمُقْرِضِ زَكَاتُهَا قَالَ لَا يُزَكَّى الْمَالُ مِنْ وَجْهَيْنِ فِي عَامٍ وَاحِدٍ وَ لَيْسَ عَلَى الدَّافِعِ شَيْ‌ءٌ لِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي يَدِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ إِنَّمَا ا

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who gives a certain amount of asset to another person as loan with the condition that Zakat is on lender or borrower. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, Zakat is due on borrower if it remains with him for one year.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Zakat is not paid twice for the same thing i

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ وَ فِي يَدِهِ مَالٌ لِغَيْرِهِ هَلْ عَلَيْهِ زَكَاةٌ فَقَالَ إِذَا كَانَ قَرْضاً فَحَالَ عَلَيْهِ الْحَوْلُ فَزَكَّاهُ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who owes a loan and in his hands is the assets of another person. Is he required to pay Zakat for the asset of other people? He (the Imam) said, ‘If it is loan and it has remained in his hand for one year, he then is required to pay its Zakat.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ بَاعَ بَيْعاً إِلَى ثَلَاثِ سِنِينَ مِنْ رَجُلٍ مَلِيٍّ بِحَقِّهِ وَ مَالِهِ فِي ثِقَةٍ يُزَكِّي ذَلِكَ الْمَالَ فِي كُلِّ سَنَةٍ تَمُرُّ بِهِ أَوْ يُزَكِّيهِ إِذَا أَخَذَهُ فَقَالَ لَا بَلْ يُزَكِّيهِ إِذَا أَخَذَهُ قُلْتُ لَهُ لِكَمْ يُزَكِّيهِ قَالَ قَالَ لِثَلَاثِ سِنِينَ.

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about a man who buys something to pay for after three years from a man who trusts him in his right and asset. Is he required to pay its Zakat every year or he pays it because he has the asset in his hands? He (the Imam) said, ‘He who has taken it pays its Zakat.’ I then asked, ‘For h

سَأَلْتُ أَحَدَهُمَا ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ وَ فِي يَدِهِ مَالٌ وَفَى بِدَيْنِهِ وَ الْمَالُ لِغَيْرِهِ هَلْ عَلَيْهِ زَكَاةٌ فَقَالَ إِذَا اسْتَقْرَضَ فَحَالَ عَلَيْهِ الْحَوْلُ فَزَكَاتُهُ عَلَيْهِ إِذَا كَانَ فِيهِ فَضْلٌ.

“I once asked one of the two the Imam, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, about a man who owes a loan and in his hand is an asset that is sufficient to pay the loan but it belongs to someone else. Is he required to pay Zakat? He (the Imam) said, ‘If he has borrowed and one year has passed, then its Zakat is on him if there is anything

إِنْ كَانَ عِنْدَكَ وَدِيعَةٌ تُحَرِّكُهَا فَعَلَيْكَ الزَّكَاةُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تُحَرِّكْهَا فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ شَيْ‌ءٌ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If a certain asset is deposited with you and you are allowed to make it work its Zakat is on you but if you are not allowed to make it work then you do not owe anything.’”

كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ‌[1] أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَلَيْهِ مَهْرُ امْرَأَتِهِ لَا تَطْلُبُهُ مِنْهُ إِمَّا لِرِفْقٍ بِزَوْجِهَا وَ إِمَّا حَيَاءً فَمَكَثَ بِذَلِكَ عَلَى الرَّجُلِ عُمُرَهُ وَ عُمُرَهَا يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ زَكَاةُ ذَلِكَ الْمَهْرِ أَمْ لَا فَكَتَبَ لَا يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ الزَّكَاةُ إِلَّا فِي مَالِهِ.

“I once wrote to him (the Imam) (a.s.), about a man who owes Mahr of his woman who does not ask for payment due to sympathy or shyness. It goes on for their lifetime. Is he required to pay Zakat for that Mahr? He (the Imam) wrote, ‘Zakat is not due on him except for his assets.’”

فِي الرَّجُلِ يَنْسَى أَوْ يُعِينُ‌[2]- فَلَا يَزَالُ مَالُهُ دَيْناً كَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ فِي زَكَاتِهِ قَالَ يُزَكِّيهِ وَ لَا يُزَكِّي مَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الدَّيْنِ إِنَّمَا الزَّكَاةُ عَلَى صَاحِبِ الْمَالِ

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who does not collect what he has lent because of forgetfulness or the desire to help his borrowers so his assets continue to remain as loans.How must he deal with Zakat? He (the owner of the assets) not the borrower pays Zakat.’”

أَنَّهُمَا قَالا أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ كَانَ لَهُ مَالٌ مَوْضُوعٌ حَتَّى يَحُولَ عَلَيْهِ الْحَوْلُ فَإِنَّهُ يُزَكِّيهِ وَ إِنْ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الدَّيْنِ مِثْلُهُ وَ أَكْثَرُ مِنْهُ فَلْيُزَكِّ مَا فِي يَدِهِ

“Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the two Imam, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, have said, ‘Whoever has an asset that remains with him for one year, he is required to pay its Zakat even if he owes to others an equal amount of asset or more. He is required to pay Zakat for what is in his hand.’”