Who Should Give Zakat?
Zakat is mandatory for individuals who meet the following criteria:

1. They must be free individuals; slaves are exempt from paying zakat.

2. The obligation of zakat applies to Muslims. It is a religious duty similar to the five daily prayers.

3. The individual must be of sound mind, according to Imam Abu Hanifa. However, Imam Malik believes that even an insane person is still liable for zakat.

4. Zakat is obligatory for adults. Children are not required to pay zakat, even if they possess enough wealth to make it obligatory. Yet, both Imam Shafi’i and Imam Malik assert that the guardians of children should fulfill the zakat on their behalf.

5. The person must have complete ownership and control of their wealth. They should own and possess the wealth and have the freedom to spend or dispose of it as they wish. If someone has loaned their wealth, they are not in a position to spend it until it is repaid.

6. Possession of wealth above the Nisab threshold is a prerequisite. The individual should possess wealth exceeding a defined amount necessary to meet the essential needs of themselves and their dependents (Nisab).

7. They must be free from debt. If an individual is in debt, they can deduct their debts from their assets. If the remaining amount is still above the Nisab threshold, zakat is due; otherwise, it is not.

8. The individual must possess the wealth for one complete lunar (Hijrah) year. Zakat becomes obligatory if one owns zakatable wealth for a lunar year, provided the total amount of wealth exceeds the Nisab at the beginning and end of the year, regardless of fluctuations during the months in between.