FatwaFederal TerritoriesZakat
AL-KAFI #1649 : HUKUM ORANG YANG MENINGGAL DUNIA SEBELUM SEMPAT MENUNAIKAN ZAKAT
What is the ruling on a person who dies before paying their zakat, and must the heirs pay it from the estate?
Short answer
Scholars differ on this. Imam Abu Hanifah held that the obligation lapses upon death unless the deceased left a bequest, in which case the zakat is paid from one third of the estate.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Zakat
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Scholars differ on this. Imam Abu Hanifah held that the obligation lapses upon death unless the deceased left a bequest, in which case the zakat is paid from one third of the estate. The majority of scholars, including the Shafi'i school, hold that zakat must be paid from the estate before inheritance is distributed if the deceased was able to pay it in life, because zakat is due immediately and does not lapse with death. This fatwa leans towards the majority view.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
wajib dikeluarkan zakat daripada harta seseorang yang meninggal dunia dalam keadaan tidak sempat menunaikannya, sedangkan dia mampu untuk melaksanakannya.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #1649 : HUKUM ORANG YANG MENINGGAL DUNIA SEBELUM SEMPAT MENUNAIKAN ZAKAT”, 11 March 2020. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/4299-al-kafi-1649-hukum-orang-yang-meninggal-dunia-sebelum-sempat-menunaikan-zakat. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/ruling-on-dying-before-paying-zakat/