Can I give extra Zakaat after I give my Zakaat for the current year?

Q. Can I give extra Zakaat after I give my Zakaat for the current year? If I can, would it be counted as Zakaat for the following year or would it be counted as optional charity?

A. It is permissible for a person to discharge Zakaat for the following lunar year after discharging Zakaat for the current lunar year. This is subject to the following conditions:

a) a person possesses the Zakaat Nisaab amount at the time of discharging Zakaat.

b) a person did not loose the entire amount of Zakaat Nisaab during the lunar year.

c) a person possesses the Zakaat Nisaab amount at the end of the lunar year.

If a person did not fulfil the above mentioned conditions, then the extra amount given as Zakaat will not be counted as Zakaat. It would be counted as optional charity. However, if the above conditions were fulfilled, then the extra amount given as Zakaat for the following year would be counted in the following years Zakaat. (Hindiyyah 1/176)

Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

Mufti Ismaeel Bassa

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