FatwaFederal TerritoriesZakat
AL-KAFI #1450: PERLUKAH ZAKAT HARTA YANG HARAM
Is zakat obligatory on unlawful wealth such as conventional bank interest, bribes, gambling proceeds and wrongfully seized property?
Short answer
Unlawful wealth such as stolen or robbed property, gambling proceeds, bribes and interest is neither obligatory nor valid to pay zakat from, because the holder is not its lawful owner, while zakat is only due on full and lawful ownership.
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
Unlawful wealth such as stolen or robbed property, gambling proceeds, bribes and interest is neither obligatory nor valid to pay zakat from, because the holder is not its lawful owner, while zakat is only due on full and lawful ownership. The wealth should be returned to its owner or heirs, or, if the owner cannot be traced, spent for the general benefit of Muslims. Where the wealth involves crimes under national law, it should be reported to authorities such as the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Harta haram tidak wajib dan tidak sah dibayar zakat daripadanya kerana pemegang harta tersebut tidak dikira sebagai pemilik yang sah
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 #1450: PERLUKAH ZAKAT HARTA YANG HARAM”, 28 November 2019. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/3842-al-kafi-1450-perlukah-zakat-harta-yang-haram. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/zakat-on-unlawful-wealth-interest-bribes-gambling/