One of the conditions for the obligation of Zakāh is the passage of a full year over the wealth subject to Zakāh, as required for Zakāh on money, livestock, and trade goods, unlike Zakāh on crops, which is due at the time of harvest regardless of the passage of a full year.

Regarding the full year on wealth, Zakāh becomes obligatory as soon as the niṣāb (minimum threshold) is possessed, regardless of whether it is during the specific time period or not. To change the time of Zakāh payment, the following can be done:

• Paying Zakāh in advance before the completion of the year to align with a more suitable time.
• Separating the Zakāh amount at the time of its obligation, provided that it becomes a debt on the owner and paying it at the appropriate time as needed.
• There is also a third solution, which is a kind of legal maneuver, by transferring the Zakāh amount to one of the minor children until the preferred time of the full year, then the mother retrieves it with the permission of the father (the legal guardian of the children) and resumes the Zakāh calculation for a new year.

After all, Allāh knows best.

Fatwa issued by Dr. Khālid Naṣr