Can Zakat Be Paid in Installments or Must It Be Immediate?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Can Zakat be paid in installments throughout the year, or must it be paid in full before Ramadan ends? Would delaying payment affect its validity or reward?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
One may pay due Zakat in advance of its due date, like Ramadan, when many people tend to have their Zakat anniversary date. Delaying payment after its due date will diminish the reward and be sinful, depending on the delay.
According to the relied-upon position, Zakat is supposed to be given without undue delay, and delaying it unduly without excuse is sinful. An undue delay is a delay of payment beyond a year.
Delays that are reasonable or for a greater benefit are not blameworthy. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
Islam’s Philosophy of Immediacy
Islam emphasizes the urgency of performing righteous deeds without delay. The Quran encourages believers to hasten toward good works, forgiveness, and Paradise. This principle of immediacy applies to both worship and moral actions, as life’s uncertainties—such as loss of wealth or unexpected death—can hinder future opportunities. The call to promptness is especially critical for zakat and charity, as they alleviate the suffering of the poor and needy.
Islam encourages believers to hasten in performing righteous deeds:
“So compete with one another in doing good.” [Quran, 2;148]
“(So) compete with one another for forgiveness from your Lord and a Paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth” [Quran, 57:21]
Please go through the valuable answers and links below. Insha’Allah, they will provide you with guidance and direction.
Related
- What are the conditions for Zakat’s advance payment?
- Zakat: How to Calculate & Whom to Give …
- Zakat: A Comprehensive SeekersGuidance Reader
- Zakat Calculator
Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersGuidance? You can choose from the Islamic Studies Curriculum or the Youth Islamic Studies Curriculum and progress through each course step by step.
I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received a traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.
