Q 1: I am the trustee of some inheritors who inherited a huge amount of money. However, there was a dispute over the money with the partner in the heritage. The dispute continued for more than ten years because of the procrastination of the partner who happens to be the uncle. The latter delivered the money after that period in installments.What is
the situation of the inheritors concerning paying Zakah (obligatory charity) for that money for the time prior to receiving it? Must they pay Zakah for all the years that passed in dispute or just one year,
or is the Zakah not due except after a new Hawl (one lunar year calculated from the time a property reaches the minimum amount upon which Zakah is due) passes?
A:
If there is tardiness in payment for a certain amount of money due to the stalling of the person who should pay the money, then the Zakah is only due upon that money after a Hawl passes and the money is in the possession of its lawful owner; this is according to the correct opinion maintained by scholars.