5727
24
17 / 07 / 2026
Please note: this fatwa has been translated by artificial intelligence.
Considering Debt as Zakat
I lent a poor woman one hundred dinars, and she cannot repay it at the moment. Is it permissible for me to forgive her fifty dinars and consider it as zakat from my wealth?
Answer
I say, and with God's help: It is not correct to consider a debt as a substitute for zakat. You can inform her that I am paying you my zakat, and afterwards you can settle the debt that I owe you; because it is a condition for zakat to involve ownership and delivery, and God knows best.
