Dear respected Shaykh, assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. What is the ruling of delaying in giving Zakat to relatives whom a person will see after some time? Clarification that the year that is considered for Zakat is the lunar year. تأخير الزكاة لقرابة لن تراهم إلا بعد مدة

Praise be to Allah, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and his companions. Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. As to what follows: In response to your question, we say: I remind the questioner that Zakat is not linked to the solar year, rather it is linked to the lunar year. Thus you should calculate Zakat according to the solar months, and that is the principle for calculating Zakat. There is a difference between the Gregorian year and the lunar year. The Gregorian year is thirteen days or so longer than the lunar year. The consensus of the scholars is that Zakat is based on the lunar year and not the solar year.   As for the issue of delaying in giving Zakat; the principle is Allah’s verse, “and give its due [Zakat] on the day of its harvest” [al-An’am 6: 141]. Thus Zakat should be given at its due time. However, if there is need or benefit in delaying giving Zakat, or giving it earlier than the due time, then this is permissible. I advise the questioner to record the Zakat that is due from her so as to free herself from obligation in case events like death, sickness or so on occur to her. It is better to give Zakat at its due time.