Extracting Zakat from Good Wealth from Bad Wealth

Question
Is Zakat obligatory on bad wealth, and how is it considered bad, and is it sufficient to pay Zakat from good wealth instead of bad wealth?
Answer

I say, and with God's help: Badness in wealth can occur due to corruption, usury, or dislike in the contract, and Zakat is not obligatory on bad wealth even if it reaches the minimum threshold. In Al-Bazzaziyyah: 1: 41: 'If bad wealth reaches the minimum threshold, Zakat is not obligatory on it; because everything must be given in charity.' In Al-Durr Al-Mukhtar 2: 291: If everything is bad, Zakat is not obligatory on it, as mentioned in 'Al-Nahr' from 'Al-Hawashi Al-Sa'diyyah.' This is because bad wealth must be given in charity, and it is forbidden to benefit from it. If one intends to give Zakat from it, it is merely an act of giving for the sake of Allah, and it counts as charity. Charity and Zakat converge in meaning, so it is considered charity. In Al-Bazzaziyyah 1: 41: 'If one intends for the bad wealth, which must be given in charity, to count as Zakat, it counts for both: that is, Zakat and charity.' And Al-Radd Al-Muhtar 1: 291 cites from Al-Bazzaziyyah: it counts for it: that is, Zakat, meaning, as previously mentioned, that the bad wealth is obligatory to be given out, so the intention does not harm whether it is charity or Zakat for oneself. However, there is a statement that Zakat is obligatory on it even though it is bad wealth, so how can it be purified? Ibn Abidin responded in Al-Radd Al-Muhtar 2: 291: 'But you know that Zakat is not obligatory unless the owner purifies it or reconciles it, thus removing its badness.' Regarding the extraction of Zakat from bad wealth using good wealth, two narrations have been mentioned: In Al-Radd Al-Muhtar 2: 291: 'If Zakat of lawful wealth is extracted from unlawful wealth, it is mentioned in 'Al-Wahbaniyyah' that it suffices according to some, and the two opinions are cited in 'Al-Quniyyah.' Thus, the opinion of sufficiency is weak, and it is a deduction from the scholars, and it is not to be considered, especially since it is reported from 'Al-Quniyyah,' which is not reliable. It may be deduced on the basis that the wealth is not specified, unlike the opinion of non-sufficiency, which is considered valid as it aligns with previous reports regarding the prohibition of benefiting from bad wealth. And Allah knows best.

imam icon

Send your question to the smart assistant

If the previous answers are not appropriate, please send your question to the Mufti via