I Have an Income but I Never Possess the Nisab. Should I Pay Zakat?

Answered by Ustadh Salman Younas

Question: Assalam aleykum

I have learned that nisab is the amount of wealth that one has kept for one lunar year. What do you do if you never have that? Is one then exempt from paying zakat?

Answer: assalamu alaykum

In order for zakat to be obligatory upon an individual, he must possess a minimal zakatable amount (nisab) at the beginning and at the end of his zakat year. If you never possess such an amount, zakat will not be obligatory upon you.

For some general guidelines on calculating zakat please see:

Zakat: How to Calculate & Whom to Give

[Ustadh] Salman Younas

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Salman Younas graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in Political Science and Religious Studies. After studying the Islamic sciences online and with local scholars in New York, Ustadh Salman moved to Amman. There he studies Islamic law, legal methodology, belief, hadith methodology, logic, Arabic, and tafsir.