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MUIS
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Top 5 Most Popular FAQs Zakat Matters
1.	Do I need to pay Zakat on my CPF monies that I am able to withdraw?
	Yes, Zakat is liable to be paid if the conditions of zakat are met regardless of whether it is in your possession or not. This is tantamount to safekeeping since you have the means to withdraw the money.
2.	I have accidentally forgotten to pay my Zakat fitrah in Ramadan. If I do so after Ramadan, will it be accepted?
	Zakat Fitrah must be paid in Ramadan, before the start of Eidul Fitri prayers. If it is paid after Eidul Fitri prayers, it becomes ordinary charity (sadaqah) and not considered Zakat. The person who has forgotten to pay his Zakat Fitrah should pray to Allah for forgiveness and make a strong intention not to repeat it again in the future by taking the necessary precautions. Should he feel discomfort and the need to pay still, he may do so as sadaqah.
3.	Which day of the month should I take to calculate my Zakat on Savings? Every end of the month? During payday? Every start of Islamic month?
	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.
4.	What are the consequences upon those who do not pay zakat?
	A person who does not pay zakat has destroyed one of the pillars of Islam. Just as those who can afford to pay zakat gives it out to those who need it most and at the same time causing a sense of respect and care among the two classes of the community, refusal to do so will also cause some conflict or a feeling of hatred amongst the community. Allah s.w.t has ordained that the rich give out a very small portion of what they have every year to the poor and needy and this group will always be hoping to receive what they are entitled for. The rich must be grateful to Allah .s.w.t for the rizq and wealth that Allah s.w.t has bestowed on them by paying zakat. Refusal to do so is akin to taking away the rights of the poor and needy and taking away a person's rights is definitely something that will cause hatred in the hearts of those that have been oppressed and will incur the wrath of Allah s.w.t.
5.	Is it permissible for one to pay zakat on wealth before it reaches haul so as to attain the benefits during Ramadan?
	Payment of zakat can be made earlier before it reaches haul with the condition that if and when it finally reaches haul, the wealth is much higher than the one that has been paid for, the excess zakat must be paid.