Paying Zakah for the next eight years in advance
12-5-2013 | IslamWeb
Question:
Is it permissible for me to give 20% of the Zakaah due on me for the coming eight years to my nephew to help him with the expenses of marriage without telling him that this money is that of Zakaah? Kindly furnish me with the answer soon via email. May AllaahThe Almighty Reward you.
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhiwasallam, is His slave and messenger.
You are religiously permitted to give your poor nephew from your money of Zakah if he is in need of it for marriage. It is even preferable to do so because he is your relative. In a Hadeeth, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhiwasallam, said: "Giving to the poor is charity and giving to one's relatives is both charity and a means of keeping good ties of kinship."[At-Tirmithi, An-Nasaa'i, and Ahmad] It is not necessary to tell the recipient of the money that it is Zakah. You only have to intend it as Zakah when you pay the money to him.
You should give him as much as he needs from the Zakah, not going into excess in the wedding preparations and purchase of luxuries; be careful about this. With regard to paying Zakah for eight years, if you mean that you give him part of your Zakah every year, then this is allowable. But, if you mean that you give the Zakah for eight years in advance, the scholars differed concerning this.
First: The Hanafi scholars held that it is permissible to pay Zakah more than two years earlier. As-Sarkhasi, a Hanafi jurist 
said: “Giving Zakah on all the wealth in one's possession, like grazing livestock or others, one or two years earlier or even more, is permissible.”
Second: The Maliki scholars were of the opinion that giving Zakah ahead of time is not permissible, excluding what is little. They differed over estimating that which is little. Some said one or two days, others said ten and some others said two months.
Third: The Shafi`i scholars said that giving Zakah one year earlier is permissible. Imaam An-Nawawi said: “Giving it two years earlier is impermissible, according to the more correct opinion.”
Fourth:The Hanbali scholars held the view that it is permissible to pay Zakah two years earlier. Al-Merdaawi said: “It is permissible to pay it ahead of time by two years only. This is the correct opinion in our school of Fiqh and it is also accepted in the Shafi‘i school of Fiqh.”
In conclusion, we say that the more correct opinion is that Zakah may be given ahead of time, but no more than two years earlier.
Allaah Knows best.