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Fatwa CenterPaying Zakah and the Effect of Outstanding Debt
Question
I earned SL Rs. 1 million today (18/02/2026) from Translation, apart from my monthly salary. I am indebted to Amana Takaful Insurance Company and HSBC bank totally SL Rs. 200,000/-.I owned a car for my daily usage and owned a house under my wife’s name. My two children are married. One younger son who just got a job. I don’t have any liabilities at the moment. 1) Should I pay Zakath for the above mentioned one million Sri Lankan rupees?2) If yes, how much?Thank you,Nisver - Colombo
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His Slave and Messenger.
Know first that zakah is not due on cash unless two conditions are met:
First: The amount must reach the nisab (minimum threshold), which is equivalent to the value of 85 grams of gold or 595 grams of silver.
Second: A full Hijri (lunar) year must elapse from the time the amount reaches the nisab threshold.
If both conditions are fulfilled, then the owner of the money must pay zakah on it. The amount due is one-quarter of one-tenth, which is 2.5% of the total.
With this clarified, consider the amount you mentioned—one million rupees. If it is below the nisab, then no zakah is due on it. If it reaches the nisab—whether by itself or when combined with other money you possess, such as salary—then the first condition is fulfilled. You must then wait for the second condition, which is the completion of one lunar year. If a full year passes and the amount does not fall below the nisab, you must pay its zakah at 2.5%. Zakah is not due before the completion of the year, nor if the amount falls below the nisab during the year.
As for the debt you owe: you may deduct it from the zakatable amount if you do not possess surplus wealth beyond your basic needs with which you could repay the debt. In that case, you may deduct the two hundred thousand from the one million and pay zakah on the remaining eight hundred thousand—provided it does not fall below the nisab.
However, if you possess other surplus wealth sufficient to cover the debt, then you may not deduct the debt from the zakah amount. Rather, you must pay zakah on the full amount without deducting the debt.
Allah Knows best.
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