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Fatawa (According to Shafi School of Jurisprudence)
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Question 17
When Zakath of wealth obliged ? Is Zakath 'Vajib' upon a salaried person?
Answer
The obligation of Zakath is depending upon the fulfillment of two conditions. The first condition is the 'Nisab' and the second is the 'Passage of one Lunar year. So Zakath would be obligatory when a certain amount of money, called the nisab is reached or exceeded. Zakath is not obligatory if the amount owned is less than this nisab. The nisab (or minimum amount) of Gold is 20 mithqal; this is approximately 85 grams of pure Gold. One mithqal is approximately 4.25 grams. The nisab of Silver is 200 dirhams, which is approximately 595 grams of pure Silver. The nisab of other kinds of money and currency is to be scaled to that of Silver, 595 grams of Silver. This means that the nisab of money is the market price of 595 grams of Silver, on the day in which Zakath is paid.
If the nisab reached or exceeded, Zakath will be due after a time span of one lunar year (A lunar year is approximately 353 days) passes with the money in the control of it's owner. Then the owner needs to pay 2.5% (or 1/40) of the money as Zakath whether he is a salaried person or not.
For Example if a person deposits the market price of 595 grams of silver on 1st of Muharram (the first month of Hijri) 1430, and this full amount remains as deposit, until passing one lunar year (353 days) from 1st of Muharram 1430, he must pay 2.5 % of the amount as Zakath. If the amount in his custody was less than the 'nisab' until passing one Lunar year on it, no need to pay Zakath of that year, since the year will be calculated from the time of reaching the 'nisab' on the deposit. So if a person deposits an amount which is equivalent to the 'nisab', in each and every month, he should calculate the year separately from the first deposit, for each month. If the amount is less than the 'nisab' at the first time of the deposit, he should calculate the year after reaching the amount to the 'nisab'.
The subsequent amount (that less than the 'nisab') of the each month to be added to the first amount that which is reached the 'nisab', only to fulfill the 'nisab' (first condition) for the amount of the subsequent months. However the year (second condition) will be calculated separately for each month.
For example we can suppose the market price of 595 grams of Silver is four thousand Indian rupees. A person is banking each month from 1st of Muharram 1430 sum of 1,000 rupees. In the 4th month, his amount will reach at 'nisab' and he should pay the Zakath on the end of the 15th month (i.e. after the completion of one Lunar year on the 'nisab') for the sum of 4,000 rupees only. Due to the incompleteness of the total amount (15,000 rupees) of the 15 months to one Lunar year at the end of 15th month, he doesn't need to pay the Zakath of the total amount (15,000 rupees). But he needs to pay the Zakath for the deposit of the 5th month (1,000 rupees) at the end of 16th month (i.e. after the completion of one Lunar year on it) and to pay the Zakath for the deposit of the 6th month (1,000 rupees) at the end of the 17th month etc… respectively. (Fathul Mu'een by Sheikh Zainuddin Makhdoom, Thuhfa by Imam Ibn Hajer (r))
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