considered in its middle, such as ownership and Islam.

Section: If the owner of the wealth claims that a year has not passed over the wealth, or that the nisab (threshold) was not completed until a month ago, or that it was in my possession as a deposit (wadi'ah) and I only bought it recently, or if he says: "I sold it during the year, then I bought it back," or "It was returned to me," and the like of what negates the obligation of zakat, then his statement is accepted without an oath. Ahmad said in a narration by Salih: "People are not to be made to take oaths regarding their charity." The apparent meaning of this is that they are not to be made to swear, neither as an obligation nor as a recommendation. This is because zakat is an act of worship, so the statement of the one upon whom it is incumbent is accepted without an oath, like prayer and expiations.

420 - Issue: He said: "It is permissible to expedite zakat."

In sum, whenever the cause of the obligation of zakat is found, which is the complete nisab, it is permissible to expedite the zakat. This is the view of al-Hasan, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, al-Zuhri, al-Awza'i, Abu Hanifah, al-Shafi'i, Ishaq, and Abu 'Ubayd. It was narrated from al-Hasan that it is not permissible. This is also the view of Rabi'ah, Malik, and Dawud, because it has been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that he said: "Zakat is not to be paid before the passing of the year." And because the year is one of the two conditions for zakat, it is not permissible to expedite zakat before it, like the nisab. Also, because zakat has a specific time, it is not permissible to expedite it before it, like prayer. Our evidence is what Ali narrated, that al-Abbas asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about expediting his charity before it was due, and he granted him a concession for that. [In one wording: "about expediting zakat, and he granted him a concession for that."]. Narrated by Abu Dawud.