Islamic Manual

The conditions for a valid payment of zakat

What makes an act of giving actually count as zakat: who can pay it, the intention it needs, and who it must reach.

Giving money to the poor is not always the same as paying Zakat. For it to count as Zakat, five things must be true.

For a payment to count as Zakat

  1. The person paying must be a Muslim.
  2. The person paying must be of sound mind.
  3. The person paying must be grown up.
  4. The person must mean to give it as Zakat.You do not have to say the word ‘Zakat’ out loud: it is enough to mean it in your heart. If you give something as a gift and mean it as Zakat, that counts. But if you already gave money away all year with no thought of Zakat, you cannot decide afterwards that it was Zakat, unless the poor person still has that exact money when you make the intention.
  5. It must go to someone who is actually allowed to receive Zakat.

The conditions for the valid payment of Zakah are as follows.

Conditions for a valid payment

  1. Being a Muslim.Zakah given by a non-Muslim is not valid.
  2. Being of sound mind.Zakah given by an insane or mentally deficient person is not valid.
  3. Being mature.Zakah given by a minor is not valid.
  4. The intention of Zakah.The intention must be made when giving Zakah or when setting aside the Zakah portion from one’s wealth: it should be firm enough that, if asked at that moment, the giver would say “I am giving Zakah.” If the intention is made after the giving, it is only valid while the wealth is still with the poor recipient; once it has been spent, the intention comes too late and Zakah must be given again. If someone intends to pay Zakah in general but never separates a Zakah portion, and instead gives amounts here and there through the year without that specific intention, none of it counts as Zakah; a later claim that it was all meant as Zakah all along is not accepted. There is no need to say the word “Zakah” aloud; the intention alone suffices, so a gift, a loan, or a seasonal present given with the intention of Zakah is valid as Zakah. It is nonetheless better to give Zakah openly, though giving it discreetly is preferable in itself.
  5. Giving it to someone entitled to receive it.Zakah must reach someone eligible to receive it: the eligible categories are set out separately.

The conditions of ṣiḥḥah (validity) for the payment of Zakāh are as follows.

Conditions for a valid payment

  1. Islam.Zakāh given by a non-Muslim does not discharge the obligation.
  2. ʿAql (soundness of mind).Given by one insane or of deficient reason, it is not valid.
  3. Bulūgh (maturity).Given by a minor, it is not valid.
  4. Niyyat az-zakāh (the intention of Zakāh).The niyyah must accompany the act of giving, or the setting aside of the Zakāh portion from the total wealth, and must be firm enough that the giver, if asked at that instant, would say “I am giving Zakāh.” An intention formed after the giving is valid only so long as the wealth remains with the poor recipient; once the recipient has spent it, the intention is too late and Zakāh must be paid afresh. Where someone holds only a general intention to pay Zakāh but never separates a specific Zakāh portion, instead disbursing sums through the year without that particular niyyah, none of it is credited as Zakāh; a subsequent claim that the whole was intended as Zakāh throughout is not accepted. Vocalising the word “Zakāh” is not required; the niyyah alone suffices, so that a gift (hibah), a loan (qarḍ), or a seasonal present given with the intention of Zakāh is valid as such. It is mustaḥabb to give Zakāh openly (to encourage others), though giving it in secret (sirran) is in itself preferable.
  5. Tamlīk to an eligible recipient.The Zakāh must be given in ownership to one of the persons entitled to receive it, the categories of whom are set out separately.

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