Is Zakat obligatory on money that my brother lent to his friends, and he does not know when it will be repaid?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The on loaned money does not fall away from its owner. Zakat is obligatory upon him as long as his ownership has not ceased due to the loan. If the loan is to a wealthy person, acknowledged by him, and he is capable of repayment, then your brother must pay zakat on it every year, because it is a debt expected to be repaid, and it is considered like money in his possession according to the Shafi'is. As for the Hanbalis, the debt is zakatable for all past years once it is received, and he is not required to pay zakat on it before receiving it.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/178436
Where this answer came from
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 178436
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy