Question

Assalamu alaykum

I asked a hanafi scholar if, on my zakat anniversary this year, my wealth is less than the nisab but not zero, what must I do? They said that zakat would not be compulsory on me but that my zakat annual date would not reset, it would remain the same. However, I had always thought that the annual date would reset if you don’t meet nisab.
Are there two different opinions on this in the hanafi madhab?

JazakAllahu khayr

Answer

In order for zakat to be compulsory a person must own zakatable assets equivalent to the value of nisab at the beginning and end of the year. If at the year end they do not own the nisab amount, they will not have to pay zakat and that year will be cancelled. They will restart the year when they next own the nisab amount.

We do not see a reason to differentiate between the payment of zakat and a zakat date. If one does not pay zakat then the zakat date should also be cancelled.

المبسوط للسرخسي (3/ 29)
(قَالَ) وَلَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلًا لَهُ مِائَتَا دِرْهَمٍ فَضَاعَ نِصْفُهَا قَبْلَ كَمَالِ الْحَوْلِ بِيَوْمٍ ثُمَّ أَفَادَ مِائَةً فَتَمَّ الْحَوْلُ وَعِنْدَهُ مِائَتَا دِرْهَمٍ فَعَلَيْهِ الزَّكَاةُ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمُعْتَبَرَ كَمَالُ النِّصَابِ فِي آخِرِ الْحَوْلِ مَعَ بَقَاءِ شَيْءٍ مِنْهُ فِي خِلَالِ الْحَوْلِ وَقَدْ وُجِدَ وَالْمُسْتَفَادُ لَوْ كَانَ قَبْلَ هَلَاكِ بَعْضِ النِّصَابِ كَانَ مَضْمُونًا إلَى النِّصَابِ لِعِلَّةِ الْمُجَانَسَةِ فَكَذَلِكَ بَعْدَ هَلَاكِ بَعْضِ النِّصَابِ لِبَقَاءِ حُكْمِ الْحَوْلِ فِي الْمَوْضِعَيْنِ فَإِنْ تَمَّ الْحَوْلُ وَلَمْ يَسْتَفِدْ هَذِهِ الْمِائَةَ ثُمَّ مَضَتْ السَّنَةُ الثَّانِيَةُ إلَّا يَوْمًا ثُمَّ اسْتَفَادَ مِائَةً ثُمَّ تَمَّ الْحَوْلُ فَلَا شَيْءَ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْحَوْلَيْنِ لِأَنَّهُ تَمَّ الْحَوْلُ الْأَوَّلُ وَمَالُهُ دُونَ النِّصَابِ فَلَمْ تَلْزَمْهُ الزَّكَاةُ وَلَمْ يَنْعَقِدْ الْحَوْلُ الثَّانِي عَلَى مَالِهِ لِنُقْصَانِ النِّصَابِ فِي أَوَّلِ هَذَا الْحَوْلِ، وَإِنَّمَا اسْتَفَادَ الْمِائَةَ وَلَيْسَ عَلَى مَالِهِ حَوْلٌ يَنْعَقِدُ فَلَا تَلْزَمُهُ الزَّكَاةُ وَلَكِنْ يَنْعَقِدُ الْحَوْلُ مِنْ حِينِ اسْتَفَادَ الْمِائَةَ لِأَنَّهُ تَمَّ نِصَابُهُ الْآنَ فَإِذَا تَمَّ الْحَوْلُ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَقْتِ زَكَّى الْمِائَتَيْنِ

Answered by:
Ifta Research Fellow

Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel