Ruling on paying Zakat in installments

14-1-2023 | IslamWeb

Question:

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته I wanted to ask since zakah should be paid as soon as it's due, but someone who due ignorance did not pay for few years and upon realising is REPENTING and has worked out how much they owe but they can't pay it upfront so is it ok if they pay that outstanding zakah in monthly instalments to needy as the monthly expense also to be noted is that now they have very little gold left which is below Nisab so they dont have zakah to pay anymore.Jazak Allaho khair

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

First of all, we say that you did not clarify for us the essence of these financial obligations you mentioned, and thus we cannot decide whether or not there is a legal excuse for you to pay out Zakat in installments. In brief, when the Zakat is due on a particular sum of money, it should be paid out immediately and it is not permissible to be delayed or paid in installments. That is because it is the right of the defined beneficiaries and thus must be given out to them with no delay at all. This is based on the Divine Command of Allah, the Exalted (which means): {And give Zakah …} [Quran 24:56] which indicates that it should be paid out immediately. But, whoever is unable to pay out the amount of Zakat obligatory upon him all at once for a valid Sharee'h excuse, then he can pay out the amount available to him at that time, taking into account to give out the remaining part all at once when it is available to him. As such, it is impermissible for him to pay it out in installments as long as he is able to do that all at once.

Allah knows best.