Fatwa Q&As: My father prays but doesn’t pay zakat

Q: My father is an elderly man who, despite being conscious of Allah, praying five times a day and learning the rules of Quran recitation, does not abide by giving the zakat (charity). He justifies this to himself by saying he has 10 children, who are more entitled to his money. What is the Islamic ruling towards my father’s stance, bearing in mind that he only has a moderate income?

A: To determine whether or not you are required to pay the zakat, you have to fulfil the nisab, which is equivalent to 85 grams of gold — or about Dh15,000 based on the market price for gold — and then possess this amount for a period of a full lunar year.

If these conditions are satisfied and all the debts are covered, then your father must pay the zakat. However, if his savings are less than the nisab over a year, he is not obliged to give zakat.

In the light of the above, if your father possesses the nisab amount or more and he spends it on his family before the year is elapsed, resulting in him subsequently having less than the nisab at the end of the year, then he is to be excused from paying the zakat.If however, at the end of the lunar year, he finds himself with more than the nisab, then we advise you to encourage your father in fulfilling the obligatory payment of the zakat as it is only a small percentage — 2.5 per cent — of his wealth and anything he gives for Allah will only come back to him multiplied in this life and the next. It is important to note that the rightful recipients of zakat are those detailed in the Quran and this excludes his immediate family as he is already obliged to support them.

Q: If the Imam has already called for prayer and I know I might reach the mosque late and can only get to the last rakat (movement) or so, should I still go to the mosque?

A: Yes, it is better to go because even if you missed the prayer you will still get the reward for attending the mosque. If you reach the last rakat, you would have the reward of having attended the congregational prayer. As a general rule, the virtues of a salat (prayer) with the congregation are superior to that performed individually by 27 degrees.

Based on this rule, it is mentioned in Al Khurashi Ala Al Mukhtasar that one rakat can earn the worshipper the recompense of the whole congregational prayer.

The scholar Al Adawi, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that a worshipper who reaches the recitation of tashahhud in the last rakat (ie the last part of salat before salutation), can still hope to obtain a reward of attaining the congregation and thus every worshipper is advised to join the salat with the imam to the utmost of their ability. And Allah knows best.

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