Zakah on debts

Al-Hakam said: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about a man who is owed a debt by another man (what is the ruling on zakah?). He said: The owner of the wealth will pay its zakah. If what is owed to him is in danger of being lost and he fears that it will not be repaid, he is given respite (in paying its zakah); when it comes out (and is recovered), he should pay the zakah for the period that has passed.

Muhammad (Ibn Sirin) said: I was informed that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) also said: If the debtor is truthful, then when he (the creditor) takes possession of the debt, he should pay zakah on it.

Tawus said: If you are owed a debt (by someone), pay zakah on it.

Ibrahim said: Let him look at whatever debt he owes and set it aside (from his zakah calculation). And whatever debt a reliable person owes him, let him include it and pay zakah on it. And whatever wealth does not stay put, which he lends today and takes back after two days, let him also pay zakah on it.

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: He will pay zakah on it.

It is narrated from Nafi' that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: The zakah of your wealth is from one full year to the next. So whatever debt is such that its recovery is certain, zakah should be paid on it as well; and for a debt about which there is doubt, he should not pay zakah on it until the debtor repays it.

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: He should pay zakah on it.

It is narrated from Abd al-Malik bin Abi Bakr that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to a man: When the year is complete, calculate your wealth and the debts owed to you by people, add them together, and pay zakah on the total.

Maymun said: Whatever debt is such that you hope to recover it, count it; then set aside what you yourself owe, and pay zakah on what remains.

Mujahid said: If you know that (the debtor) is going to take out the debt and pay it to you, pay zakah on it.

Abidah said: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about a man who is owed a debt whose return is not certain: should he pay zakah on it? He said: If the debtor is truthful, then after taking possession of it he should pay the zakah for the period that has passed.

Uthman bin Abi Uthman said: I asked al-Qasim bin Muhammad: Some of my debts are for a fixed term and some have no fixed time; should we pay zakah on them? He said: Yes. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) used to order us to pay zakah on whatever is at sea. The narrator said: I also asked Salim the same question, and he gave the same answer.