Do I Fulfill the Criteria for Zakat and the Qurban of Eid al-Adha?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question 

I have £13000 savings without owning a house/property. Do I, then, fulfill the criteria for Zakat and the Qurban (sacrifice) of Eid al-Adha?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Zakat

It is obligatory on every adult, sane, Muslim, who possess the threshold amount in surplus of any debts or essential needs, and one lunar year has passed with said wealth in their possession. [Maydani, al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab] 

The threshold amount as of May 2021 is $3,913 (appx £3,310).

Your lack of owning a house or property does not affect the rulings of Zakat. You may subtract debts and any upcoming payment (qist) due for the upcoming month. If you still have the threshold amount after this subtraction and have had this amount for one lunar year, Zakat is obligatory. [Ibid.]

See this link for a Reader on Zakat.

Qurban (Sacrifice)

Performing a sacrifice for Eid al-Adha’ is necessary for the sane, adult, resident, Muslim who possesses the threshold amount (see above). Note that there is no condition of a lunar year passing. [Ibid.]

Note that if one cannot perform the animal sacrifice in their locality, they may send the funds for the sacrifice to be performed elsewhere, especially if there are other places in more need of the food. [Ibid.]

See this link for a Reader on ‘Eid al-Adha.

Summary

It would seem from the above that you fulfill the conditions for both Zakat (considering you don’t have debts) and Qurban. You should see this as a blessing from Allah Most High. Zakat is not a tax that is to be taken as financially burdensome. Instead, it is an act of worship. It is through Zakat that one’s wealth is blessed.

Hope this helps

Allah knows best

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he then completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.