Unpaid zakat treated as a debt payable from the estate.
In Islamic law
Where zakat was due and unpaid, many scholars treat it as a debt of the estate to be discharged before distribution.
In Canadian law
Not recognised by Canadian law as a debt, so it must be provided for expressly in the will or paid voluntarily by the heirs.
Making an Islamic will in Canada — province by province, and what makes one valid where you live →
We have not yet researched whether the four Sunni schools differ on this term, so we are not going to tell you either way. Where a specific case turns on it, ask a qualified scholar rather than relying on a general summary.
This is legal information only. For advice on your own circumstances, speak to a lawyer.
Citations & sources
Every factual claim on this page traces to a source below. Details change — check the original source before relying on any figure, fee or legal position.
- Surah an-Nisa 4:11 — shares of children and parents — Quran.com
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 85: Laws of Inheritance (Faraid) — Sunnah.com
- Sahih Muslim, Book of Inheritance — Sunnah.com
- Encyclopaedia of Islam — Brill