Can waiving an insolvent debtor’s debt be counted as zakah?
2026-09-20
T24 · Ibn Taymiyyah
Ibn Taymiyyah
شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن تيمية
Original Q&A · Selected source passage(s) — fully translated
The short answer distinguishes zakah on wealth in hand from the separate issue of zakah connected to the debt itself. The English translates every displayed Arabic paragraph; this selection is not the complete surrounding work. Square brackets identify translator-supplied clarification.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
سئل عن إسقاط الدين عن المعسر: هل يجوز أن يحسبه من الزكاة؟
الجواب
وأما إسقاط الدين عن المعسر، فلا يجزئ عن زكاة العين بلا نزاع.
لكن إذا كان له دين على من يستحق الزكاة: فهل يجوز أن يسقط عنه قدر زكاة ذلك الدين ويكون ذلك زكاة ذلك الدين؟ فهذا فيه قولان للعلماء.
English translation
English translation reviewed against the displayed Arabic by SalafAlSalih editorial preparation (AI-assisted); explanatory additions appear in square brackets or separate notes.
Original question
He was asked whether cancelling an insolvent debtor’s debt can be counted as zakah.
Answer
As for cancelling the debt of someone in financial difficulty, this does not discharge the zakah due on wealth in hand, without scholarly dispute.
However, if someone is owed a debt by a person eligible for zakah, may he cancel an amount equal to the zakah due on that debt, so that this constitutes the zakah on that debt? The scholars have two views on this.
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 25/84
مجموع الفتاوى
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā
Arabic passage checked against the cited edition and location. English reviewed against every displayed Arabic paragraph on 14 October 2026.