Can an early Zakah payment be reclaimed if the principal does not meet the threshold for the current year's obligation?
Chapter on Zakat on Sheep
Al-Mughni
Book of Zakat
Primary text
In any instance where the advanced payment is ruled insufficient for the current Zakah obligation, if the money was given to the poor without any condition, the giver has no right to reclaim it. If the payment was given explicitly on the condition that it was an advance payment of Zakah, there are two differing views regarding the permissibility of reclaiming it, which require further detailed analysis.