FAQs

Zakat Fitrah can be performed in the beginning of Ramadan, but the period upon which it is obligatory is on the night of Eid-ul-Fitri and it is encouraged to be performed before solat Eid-ul-Fitri. If it is performed later than that, the act becomes a sadaqah.

It is ok for your husband to pay Zakat Fitrah for yourself as you are his dependant in nafkah. As for the Zakat Fitrah of his parents, they may pay on their own. However your husband may wish to pay for them as they are his dependants in nafkah and should they be unable to pay on their own. Similarly, the Zakat Fitrah for your parents may be paid by themselves or their dependants. This is more favourable than your husband paying it for them. The Zakat Fitrah of his younger brother would have been initially paid by his parents when he was young, but upon reaching maturity and himself now working, his younger brother now needs to pay Zakat Fitrah on his own. In all cases where an individual should not be making payment for another, he may however make payment on their behalf with their permission. This means that he carries out the payment process, but the amount is deducted from those he is making the payment for respectively. In other words, he is a wakil and is facilitating payment in this case.

Zakat Fitrah is obligatory for all Muslims. Your maid is obligated to pay Zakat on herself using her savings. In the case that she cannot afford or is not able to do so, her employer may pay Zakat for her on the condition that the maid is informed and consent to it.

For your information, Zakat Fitrah may be paid in Ramadan up to the start of Eid prayers. Payment after the abovesaid prayers is only considered as sadaqah. Considering you have missed the payment and it is not done on purpose, seek forgiveness from Allah SWT for the mistake and and take measures to rectify the situation so that it may not happen again for coming Ramadan. May your mistakes be forgiven by Allah SWT.

Zakat fitrah must be paid in the country where we reside during the period when zakat fitrah is compulsory, that is just before end of Ramadan and before the Eid prayer. Thus, if one is in Singapore during that time, one is obliged to pay zakat fitrah in Singapore. If one is in another country, one can pay zakat fitrah at that country. But to pay zakat fitrah in another country when one is residing in different country, it is not allowed.

A Muslim does not have to pay Zakat for the house in which they are staying in. However for a house that is bought for business purposes, Zakat on Business may be due. With regards to the property, if rented out, Zakat must be paid on the total rent if it reaches the nisab (minimum threshold) for a full year. Zakat on Business is then based on 2.5% of this amount. The above is a general guideline. For a more comprehensive guide to Zakat on Business, please browse our website at www.zakat.sg.

If the jewellery is intended for use, Zakat is not due on it as the weight is below the uruf of 860 grams. If the jewellery is not intended for use, it is obligatory to pay Zakat on it once it reaches the haul, as the weight has reached the nisab of 86 grams.

Zakat on Insurance is payable once the surrender value reaches the nisab for the year in concern. This is because the surrender value is the amount that one is able to obtain and use in principle.

Currently, Zakat on Insurance is only applicable for Insurance in the form of savings endowment - where the intention is to grow the wealth in savings. Hence for your situation, there is no Zakat for all 3 of your insurance plans.

Zakat is the third pillar of Islam and Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is compulsory for one to give out zakat when one's property or savings have reached haul and nisab, irregardless of whether it is savings meant for one's daily expenses or for retirement or for other religious practices including Hajj. Zakat purifies one's wealth and self. Allah has promised that He will help expand the wealth of those who give out zakat. It is also important to know that a Mabrur Hajj only comes from a purified source and performing Hajj is only compulsory for those who can afford it. Affordability here means in terms of financial expenses for the Hajj itself and one's dependents that will be left behind.

Your children's savings are still liable for Zakat once the haul and nisab are due. The Zakat, i.e. 2.5% from the wealth, should be deducted from your children's savings accounts respectively.

Zakat on Savings is based on 2.5% of the lowest savings balance in a haul which is 355 Gregorian calendar days. This period of 355 days is different for each individual and does not have to be from pay day to pay day, Ramadan to Ramadan, or Jan to Dec. If for example your haul is from Feb to Jan the following year, the Zakat will be based on 2.5% of the lowest balance that you have from Feb to Jan. The haul is determined by the nisab value. If in one year, your savings balance does not fall below the nisab value, then you have the haul in existence. If at any point in time your savings balance drops below the nisab, there is no haul. So for some people, they do not have to pay Zakat as their haul is always broken and never completes a full Hijrah year. The nisab value, which is used to determine if there is a haul, is the nisab value at the end of the 355 days period.

Yes you may make a best estimate of your lowest balance in the year based on a figure you are most certain of since there is no document to help you in this. On another note, you may wish to call your bank and enquire if you can obtain your transactions for a specific period.

Calculation which takes the lowest amount in each account and then multiplying 2.5% of it is not accurate because there is a possibility that the lowest amount in each account would fall below the nisab value (and thus not liable for Zakat) but in actuality when summed up would exceed the nisab value (and thus liable for Zakat).

If the shareholder only owns one type of shares, Zakat on Shares is calculated by taking 2.5% of the market value of the shares when Haul and Nisab are reached. If the shareholder owns more than one type of shares, the calculation and payment of the Zakat on Shares is done at the end of the Financial Year (ie. 31 Dec) by taking 2.5% of the market values of all the shares at the end of the year.

For Zakat on Shares, the shares need not be sold as the payment is done using money from your savings.

Zakat is due on income/proceeds from the sale of the house if the sale is done on the basis of profit /business. Having mentioned that, if the sale is done after a year passed ever since the intention to sell the house on the basis of profit/business is made, Zakat on Business is based on 2.5% of the income from sale if it reaches the nisab. If the house is for normal residence and not business, income/proceeds from the sale is not due for Zakat. Nevertheless, if the income/proceeds is kept for a year (haul) and reaches nisab together with other savings, Zakat is due i.e. Zakat on Savings.

In Singapore, Zakat on Salary or Income is not obligatory as currently, there is not a fatwa on such an obligation.

As a general guideline, if you are certain that the loan will be repaid by your friend, the sum is considered as part of your savings when you calculate your Zakat. Nevertheless, if you are not certain if the money which you loaned out will be returned, you are not obligated to add the amount in the calculation of your Zakat until it has been repaid.

Zakat on Silver is based on 2.5% of the value of the silver when the haul and nisab of 600 grams of silver are reached.

The Zakat for your savings, shares and insurance is calculated separately and not summed up together before performing calculation. This is because the calculation method for each is different:

1. Zakat on Savings: Based on 2.5% of lowest balance in year if this balance does not fall below nisab value.



2. Zakat on Shares: Based on 2.5% of total market value of shares owned at the end of year if this value does not fall below nisab value.



3. Zakat on Insurance: Based on 2.5% of the surrender value when haul and nisab are due.