Question

Salam
If a believer at certain point in his life apostatized from islam but after some years reverted, the zakat that he paid before his apostasy will it be valid or he has to repay the zakat of his life before apostasy and zakat of his apostasy days?
If a believer only pays portion of his due zakat and dies in a state with incomplete due zakat, how big a sin will it be? Will it be a major sin or shirk?

Answer

One who does not pay their obligatory amount of zakat is sinful. The Prophet ﷺ has informed us that there is major punishment prepared for such individuals. As mentioned in Bukhari, He ﷺ said:

Anyone whom Allah has given wealth but does not pay its zakat, then, on the Day of Resurrection, his wealth will be presented to him in the shape of a bald-headed poisonous male snake with two poisonous glands in its mouth and it will encircle itself round his neck and bite him over his cheeks and say, “I am your wealth; I am your treasure.” Then the Prophet (ﷺ) recited this Divine Verse: “And let not those who covetously withhold of that which Allah has bestowed upon them of His Bounty” (3.180).[1]

May Allah protect us all from this humiliating punishment and enable us to pay our zakat on time.

As for an individual who apostatizes from Islam, the zakat they paid while they were Muslim was valid. However, their obligation of unpaid zakat ceases. Similarly, they are not liable for zakat payments during their days of apostasy.[2]

And Allah knows best.

[1]           صحيح البخاري (حديث 4565): حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُنِيرٍ، سَمِعَ أَبَا النَّضْرِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ ـ هُوَ ابْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ ـ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ مَنْ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً فَلَمْ يُؤَدِّ زَكَاتَهُ، مُثِّلَ لَهُ مَالُهُ شُجَاعًا أَقْرَعَ، لَهُ زَبِيبَتَانِ يُطَوَّقُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، يَأْخُذُ بِلِهْزِمَتَيْهِ ـ يَعْنِي بِشِدْقَيْهِ ـ يَقُولُ أَنَا مَالُكَ أَنَا كَنْزُكَ ‏”‏‏.‏ ثُمَّ تَلاَ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ ‏{‏وَلاَ يَحْسِبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ‏}‏ إِلَى آخِرِ الآيَةِ‏.‏

[2]           البحر الرائق شرح كنز الدقائق ومنحة الخالق وتكملة الطوري» (2/ 218): وَخَرَجَ الْكَافِرُ لِعَدَمِ خِطَابِهِ بِالْفُرُوعِ سَوَاءٌ كَانَ أَصْلِيًّا أَوْ مُرْتَدًّا فَلَوْ أَسْلَمَ ‌الْمُرْتَدُّ لَا يُخَاطَبُ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ الْعِبَادَاتِ أَيَّامَ رِدَّتِهِ ثُمَّ كَمَا هُوَ شَرْطٌ لِلْوُجُوبِ شَرْطٌ لِبَقَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ عِنْدَنَا حَتَّى لَوْ ارْتَدَّ بَعْدَ وُجُوبِهَا سَقَطَتْ كَمَا فِي الْمَوْتِ كَذَا فِي مِعْرَاجِ الدِّرَايَةِ»

حاشية الطحطاوي على مراقي الفلاح شرح نور الإيضاح» (ص714) ” مسلم” خرج الكافر ولو مرتدا بناء على أنه غير مخاطب بفروع الشريعة فلو أسلم ‌المرتد لا يخاطب بشيء من العبادات أيام ردته ولو ارتد بعد وجوبها سقطت بحر»

الفتاوى العالمكيرية = الفتاوى الهندية» (1/ 171):

«ومنها الإسلام حتى لا تجب على الكافر كذا في البدائع ثم الإسلام كما هو شرط الوجوب شرط ‌لبقاء ‌الزكاة عندنا حتى لو ارتد بعد وجوبها سقطت كما في الموت فلو بقي على ارتداده سنين فبعد إسلامه لا يجب عليه شيء لتلك السنين كذا في معراج الدراية»

Answered by:
Maulana Ikramul Hoque Miah

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