Q: I would like to find out what I should do in a situation where in I owe money to a few organisations but I don’t know how much as I owe this money was due years ago, do I take a rough calculation and subtract it from the nisab?
الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب
A: When one cannot determine the exact figures when calculating one’s zakat liability one should make a precautionary estimate in a manner that one does not end up paying less the one’s due zakat. If one is later able to determine the exact figures and learns that one has, despite a precautionary estimate, underpaid zakat the balance will be payable. For further information on zakat on debts please see:
http://alqalam.org.uk/research-papers/categorising-debt-for-zakat-purposes/