Unpaid Zakaat

Q: If I had not paid zakaat in Ramadaan, can I pay it after Eid?

A: If zakaat was not paid during Ramadaan, you can and should pay it after Eid. It is sinful to delay the fulfilment of Zakaat once it is due, irrespective of the month. Zakaat becomes compulsory after one Islamic year has passed on one's wealth, whether that year ends in Ramadhaan or any other month. People fulfil their Zakaat in Ramadhaan with the hope of gaining extra reward and because it is easier to keep track of the Islamic year. But if one had not fulfilled the zakaat in Ramadaan, it must be done soon thereafter.

Prepared by Moulana Yusuf Laher
Checked and Ratified by:
Mufti Siraj Desai, Darul-Uloom Abubakr, Malabar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa