The Connection of Zakat to the Asset or to the Payer’s Obligation and its Jurisprudential Implications

Abstract

This study investigates whether zakat is fundamentally tied to the wealth itself (the nisab) or to the personal obligation of the payer, analyzing how the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence have approached this question. By employing inductive, analytical, and deductive methods, the researcher surveys classical opinions, weighs their evidences, and situates them within contemporary realities. The inquiry is driven by the absence of prior works that explicitly address the jurisprudential consequences of this issue today, making the research question itself a pressing problem. Structured into an introduction, a preface clarifying key terms, and two main sections—one on the jurisprudential classification of the matter and another on the implications of divergent opinions—the study concludes that zakat is best understood as a personal obligation on the payer. This interpretation reflects the objectives of Islamic law, ensuring that zakat remains due once conditions are met, even if the wealth is lost before payment, thereby safeguarding the rights of the poor and reinforcing the enduring duty of zakat.