Do I pay zakat on my mahr?
Yes, once you have received your mahr, it is your wealth and counts toward zakat like your other savings. If it is cash or gold and your total reaches the nisab for a lunar year, you pay 2.5%. A deferred mahr you haven't received yet is a different case, and scholars differ on it.
The mahr belongs to the wife alone
The mahr is the gift a husband gives his wife at marriage. It is hers, not the couple's and not her family's:
Because it is her property, zakat on it is her responsibility, just like her salary or savings. Her husband may pay it for her as a kindness if she agrees, but he is not required to. See Does a husband have to pay his wife's zakat?
Mahr you have already received
- Cash: add it to your other savings. If the total is above the nisab on your zakat date, pay 2.5%.
- Gold coins or bars: zakatable, like any gold savings.
- Gold jewelry you wear: the Hanafi school says zakat is due; the majority (Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali) say no zakat on jewelry worn normally.
- A Quran, a car, or a house to live in: no zakat.
Whether the zakat year starts on receipt or joins your existing zakat date follows the same difference of opinion as any new money.
Deferred mahr (not yet paid)
Many couples agree on a prompt part paid at the nikah and a deferred part (mu'akhkhar) paid later, often only on divorce or death. Until then, it is a debt your husband owes you. Scholars differ:
- Many scholars, including the Hanafis: no zakat on it until you actually receive it. Then it starts like new money.
- Others (Shafi'i and Hanbali views on secure debts): once received, zakat is paid for the past years it was owed, if the husband could have paid it.
Because a deferred mahr usually can't be claimed during the marriage, most contemporary scholars say a wife owes nothing on it now. See Do I pay zakat on money someone owes me?
A small or symbolic mahr
Many converts agree on a modest mahr, like a ring or a set of books. If it is below the nisab and you have no other savings, no zakat is due. See What is mahr and how much should it be?
- Mahr is the wife's own wealth, so she is responsible for its zakat.
- Received cash or gold counts with her other savings.
- Deferred mahr not yet received: most scholars say no zakat until it is paid.
- Worn gold jewelry from the mahr follows the usual difference of opinion.
People also ask
Can I give zakat to someone who doesn't pray?
Yes, most scholars say zakat to a poor Muslim who doesn't pray is valid, though practising people come first. See the stricter view and tips.
Read the full answer →Can I give zakat to my employee or cleaner?
Yes, you can give zakat to an employee or cleaner who is poor, but never as wages, a bonus or tips. Learn the conditions and how to give it kindly.
Read the full answer →What if my savings drop below nisab during the year?
If savings drop below nisab mid-year, most scholars say the zakat year restarts; the Hanafi school looks only at the start and end of the year.
Read the full answer →Can zakat help victims of human trafficking?
Yes, zakat can help Muslim victims of human trafficking as poor, indebted or stranded people; many apply 'freeing captives' to modern slavery.
Read the full answer →Do I pay zakat on diamond jewelry?
No, you don't pay zakat on diamond jewelry you wear, per all four schools. Diamonds held for resale or investment, and gold settings, are different.
Read the full answer →