Pay Zakat first or the Pending Loan you owe someone first?

Know that Abu Bakr and the sahaaba fought, killed and enslaved those who denied to pay the zakat but accepted other rulings of Islam. This alone should cause goosebumps to those who think not following or fulfilling one obligatory pillar of Islam will save them because they fulfill the rest. And if this is the situation for zakat then the islamic ruling is that one should pay off his debts first and then if the money is left that reaches to the level of nisab then pay zakat. 


Ameerul-Mumineen `Uthman ibn Affan (radhiallahu `anhu) said in the presence of the Sahaaba that : 

 (قال عثمان بمحضر من الصحابة: " هذا شهر زكاتكم فمن كان عليه دين فليؤده حتى تخرجوا زكاة أموالكم 

"This is the month to pay Zakah, he who is in debt should pay it off and then should pay the due zakah (from the rest of his possessions if it reaches the nisab value that obligates zakat) and in another narration it says (حتى تحصل أموالكم فتؤدون منه الزكاة ) until you sort of your (remaining) wealth and then pay zakah from it

[Ref: Imam ash-shaf`ee narrated this in his Al-Umm (1/237) and Bayhaqi (4/148) both via Imam Malik and this is also in Muwatta Malik (1/253/17 as referenced by shaykh Albani). Also Ibn Abi Shaybah in his Musannaf (4/48) and others. Abu `Ubayd narrated in al-Amwaal (437/1247) in which the mentioned month is Ramadan.  This is Saheeh] 

The narration of al-Amwaal states : 

حدثنا إبراهيم بن سعد عن ابن شهاب به إلا أنه قال: " ... فليؤده حتى تخرجوا زكاة أموالكم , ومن لم تكن عنده لم تطلب منه , حتى يأتى بها تطوعا , ومن أخذ منه لم يؤخذ منه حتى يأتى هذا الشهر من قابل

And the narrator Ibraahim clarified that 

قال إبراهيم: أراه يعنى شهر رمضان "

Meaning the month of Ramadan 

Imam Abu `Ubayd after narrating this narration said : 


 وقد جاءنا فى بعض الأثر ـ ولا أدرى عن من هو ـ أن هذا الشهر الذى أراده عثمان هو المحرم ".

[Ref: Irwa ul-Ghaleel3/341 Shamela and shaykh Albani also understood it this way. This does not mean that zakat is to be paid in ramadan only. No zakat is to be paid when one year with the possessions complete and reaches the nisaab irrespective of which month it is. But Muslims in general like to calculate their yearly savings from One ramadan to another ramadan and there is no problem in this until one purposely delays paying the ramadan even if for example his one year of that wealth possession is completed even a month or 2 months before ramadan. So he has to pay it when the year completes and not delay it until Ramadan]

Note: as per the prophetic hadeeth, even a saheeh whose status is so high is not forgiven for the financial debt he leaves behind. So make sure you pay your loans as soon as you can . Cut down on your Air condition and other non basic neccessities if you have to and if you are able to without suffering (from medical conditions or otherwise). 


Additional statements quoted by Shaykh Muhammad saleh al-Munnajid on his website Islamqa are mentioned below for further clarity:

Ruling of Fasting for an Old man or woman by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer

There is a consensus on the point that old men and women who are unable to keep fast then they should not fast (and avoid bringing harm to their health) and instead (as allah mentioned) feed a poor for per day of fast 

[Ref: Kitab al-Ijma` of Ibn Mundhir (129)] 

Ibn `Abbas (radhiallahu `anhu) said " Every old man and woman who is unable to keep a fast should instead feed one poor person for per fast 

[Ref: Saheeh Bukhaari 4505] 

The Messenger of Allah (sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) said after reciting the verse 

a limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of days. And upon those who are able - a ransom of feeding a poor person. [Qur`an 2:184] 

"Old men who do not have the means or ability to fast should not fast. Rather they should provide one poor person half sa`a wheat per fast 

[Ref: Sunan ad-daraqutni  2/209 H:2361 with a hasan chain as shaykh ghulam mustafa said] 

Another narration states that the Messenger of Allah (sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) said : 

"he should give one mudd (approx. half a kilo) " 

It is reported about Anas ibn Malik (radhiallahu `anhu) that he couldn't fast (the ramadan) of a year so he prepared the dish called tharid  in a tub and fed 30 masaakeen from it 

[Ref: Sunan daraqutni 2/206; H : 2365 with an authentic chain] 

Translated from : ماہنامہ السنہ شمارہ ۱۱ 

THE SALAF AND THEIR PRACTICE OF RECITING THE QURAN IN RAMADAN

THIS POST HAS BEEN MOVED TO HERE : http://the-finalrevelation.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-importance-of-reciting-quran-during.html

MULTIPLY YOUR REWARD BY SHARING YOUR FOOD IN RAMADAN

YOU HAVE MONEY TO BUY LUXURY? DO YOU HAVE IT TO MULTIPLY YOUR REWARDS IN THE HEREAFTER?

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever gives someone something to break the fast with, he would hove The same blessings as the fasting person and this would not reduce the blessings of the fasting person in any way " Ref: Ahmed 17030, Ibn e Majah 1746 & Tirmidhi Book 8, Chapter 82, Hadith 807] 

Watch this clip of 40 seconds 

VIRTUES OF IFTAAR & ITS RULINGS

VIRTUES OF IFTAAR & ITS RULINGS 

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Allah said: The Fast is for Me and I will give the reward for it, as he (the one who observes the fast) leaves his sexual desire, food and drink for My Sake. Fasting is a screen (from Hell) and there are two pleasures for a fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord. And the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better in Allah's Sight than the smell of musk. 

[Ref: Sahih Bukhari, Vol.9, Book 93, Hadith 584]