Fatwaa.net - Fatawa | A person bought land and paid part of the money and wrote the sales contract, and there remains an amount of money owed to the seller. The seller told the buyer: Prepare the remaining price of the land for me, then the seller traveled to America and due to COVID-19 did not return, and did not send him the money. The seller said: Leave it with you until I return. Is there Zakat due on the money that is with the buyer, knowing that it does not belong to him but to the seller, but it has not reached him due to his travel? Also, does the seller have to pay Zakat?

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29 / 06 / 2026

Zakat on Trust Money or Debt

Question

A person bought land and paid part of the money and wrote the sales contract, and there remains an amount of money owed to the seller. The seller told the buyer: Prepare the remaining price of the land for me, then the seller traveled to America and due to COVID-19 did not return, and did not send him the money. The seller said: Leave it with you until I return. Is there Zakat due on the money that is with the buyer, knowing that it does not belong to him but to the seller, but it has not reached him due to his travel? Also, does the seller have to pay Zakat?

Answer

I say, and with God's help: The buyer is not obligated to pay zakat on this amount; because this amount is either a trust with him, or a debt, and zakat is not required on debts. As for the seller, he must pay zakat when he receives the amount if it reaches the nisab, which is the value of (100) grams of gold. And God knows best.

Zakat on Trust Money or Debt

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