Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah

Can I pay zakat with my husband’s money who is working in a riba based bank?

· 1 Rabiʻ I 1441 AH2 min readFatwa 42597English

Question

Assalamu alaikum.

I have gold jewellery gifted by my parents at my wedding. I haven't paid zakaah on it for many years now and I intend to pay it all ASAP.

My husband has always been working in software development companies untill few years back when he got a job to work in an IT field of a riba based bank. I never took heed if he is earning halal and I did not know much about riba. But later when I came to know about these matters, I spoke to him regarding that and it turned out even he was unaware. Now he is trying on and off to seek a halal job but hasn't been successful yet.

My question is I have to pay zakaah for all these years and it is a big amount and I don't have money, so is it permissible for me to take money from him(earned by working for a bank) to pay my zakaah? Or should I sell some of my gold and pay from that money?

This gold is my property..so it is my responsibility to pay zakaah on it and I know my husband is not compelled to pay that zakaah for me. So can I take that money from him to pay zakaah as a gift or help by him to me?

Jazaakallah khairan.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

You refer to three issues:

Ø Delay in payment of Zakat

Ø Working in the IT department of a ribā bank.

Ø Using the money earned from the above to pay zakat

1- Delaying in paying zakat without a valid excuse is sinful and repentance is necessary. However, if zakāt is given with a delay, it will still be accepted.[1]

2- The prohibition of ribā is for someone who is directly involved in a ribā transaction such as facilitating it or being a witness. Working in the IT department is not directly being involved in a ribā transaction, therefore the earnings of someone working in the IT department of a bank is permissible and lawful. [2]

3- Zakāt is liable on the owner of the gold[3]. Therefore, the wife is responsible for paying the zakāt. However, the husband may pay the zakāt on her behalf. [4]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Ikraam Elias Gangat

Student Darul Iftaa
Zambia

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

[1] الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (2/ 272)

فَتَكُونُ الزَّكَاةُ فَرِيضَةً وَفَوْرِيَّتُهَا وَاجِبَةٌ فَيَلْزَمُ بِتَأْخِيرِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ ضَرُورَةٍ الْإِثْمُ كَمَا صَرَّحَ بِهِ الْكَرْخِيُّ وَالْحَاكِمُ الشَّهِيدُ فِي الْمُنْتَقَى؛ وَهُوَ عَيْنُ مَا ذَكَرَهُ الْإِمَامُ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ أَنَّهُ يُكْرَهُ

الفتاوى الهندية (1/ 170)

وَتَجِبُ عَلَى الْفَوْرِ عِنْدَ تَمَامِ الْحَوْلِ حَتَّى يَأْثَمَ بِتَأْخِيرِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ عُذْرٍ، وَفِي رِوَايَةِ الرَّازِيّ عَلَى التَّرَاخِي حَتَّى يَأْثَمَ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ، وَالْأَوَّلُ أَصَحُّ كَذَا فِي التَّهْذِيبِ

[2] الفتاوى الهندية (5/ 343)

آكِلُ الرَّبَّا وَكَاسِبُ الْحَرَامِ أَهْدَى إلَيْهِ أَوْ أَضَافَهُ وَغَالِبُ مَالِهِ حَرَامٌ لَا يَقْبَلُ، وَلَا يَأْكُلُ مَا لَمْ يُخْبِرْهُ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ الْمَالَ أَصْلُهُ حَلَالٌ وَرِثَهُ أَوْ اسْتَقْرَضَهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ غَالِبُ مَالِهِ حَلَالًا لَا بَأْسَ بِقَبُولِ هَدِيَّتِهِ وَالْأَكْلِ مِنْهَا، كَذَا فِي الْمُلْتَقَطِ.

الجوهرة النيرة على مختصر القدوري (1/ 212)

وقال ابن مسعود «آكل الربا وموكله وكاتبه وشاهده إذا علموا به ملعونون على لسان محمد - صلى الله عليه وسلم - إلى يوم القيامة» كذا في النهاية.

تبيين الحقائق شرح كنز الدقائق وحاشية الشلبي (4/ 85)

وَأَمَّا السُّنَّةُ فَمَا رُوِيَ عَنْ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - «لَعَنَ آكِلَ الرِّبَا وَمُوَكِّلَهُ وَشَاهِدَيْهِ وَكَاتِبَهُ» رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد وَأَحْمَدُ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَصَحَّحَهُ

[3] العناية شرح الهداية (2/ 153)

الزَّكَاةُ وَاجِبَةٌ عَلَى الْحُرِّ الْعَاقِلِ الْبَالِغِ الْمُسْلِمِ إذَا مَلَكَ نِصَابًا مِلْكًا تَامًّا وَحَالَ عَلَيْهِ الْحَوْلُ

فتح القدير (3/ 460)

الزَّكَاةُ وَاجِبَةٌ عَلَى الْحُرِّ الْعَاقِلِ الْبَالِغِ الْمُسْلِمِ إذَا مَلَكَ نِصَابًا مِلْكًا تَامًّا وَحَالَ عَلَيْهِ الْحَوْلُ

[4] الدر المختار (2/ 268)

(وَشَرْطُ صِحَّةِ أَدَائِهَا نِيَّةٌ مُقَارِنَةٌ لَهُ) أَيْ لِلْأَدَاءِ (وَلَوْ) كَانَتْ الْمُقَارَنَةُ (حُكْمًا

حاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (2/ 268)

وَالْمُرَادُ مُقَارَنَتُهَا لِلدَّفْعِ إلَى الْفَقِيرِ، وَأَمَّا الْمُقَارَنَةُ لِلدَّفْعِ إلَى الْوَكِيلِ فَهِيَ مِنْ الْحُكْمِيَّةِ

زکوۃ کے مسائل کا انسائکلوپيديا ص:107

آپ کے مسائل اور ان کا حل (ج:5 ص:68)

Answered by
Ikraam Elias Gangat
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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Source: Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah — https://askimam.org/public/question_detail/42597
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/askimam-42597

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