Is Zakah obligatory on a debt acknowledged and payable by the debtor?
Chapter on Zakat on Debt and Charity
Al-Mughni
Book of Zakat
Primary text
Zakah is due on the debt, but the owner is not obligated to pay it until the debt is collected. This view is narrated from Ali, and held by Al-Thawri, Abu Thawr, and the proponents of *Ahl al-Ra'y* (Ashab al-Ra'i). The evidence is based on the ruling narrated from Ali concerning this matter.
Supporting text
Uthman, Ibn Umar, Jabir, Tawus, Al-Nakha'i, Jabir ibn Zayd, Al-Hasan, Maymun ibn Mihran, Al-Zuhri, Qatadah, Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman, Al-Shafi'i, Ishaq, and Abu Ubayd mandate payment of Zakah immediately, even before collection, as the owner has the capacity to claim and manage the asset, similar to a deposit (*wadi'ah*). Ikrimah and narrations from Aisha and Ibn Umar state that there is no Zakah on debt because it is non-growing capital, like personal use property (*urud al-quniyyah*). Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, 'Ata' ibn Abi Rabah, 'Ata' al-Khorasani, and Abu al-Zinad hold that Zakah is due only upon collection, counting Zakah for one year only.