Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: What we have stated, that a debt is not collected for several years, and then when it is collected, only one year's zakat becomes obligatory, the evidence for this is that a person has trade goods with him for years, and when he sells them, only one zakat is obligatory on the price he receives. This is because it is not obligatory upon the owner of the debt or the owner of the wealth to pay zakat for this wealth or debt from another wealth; rather, zakat for each wealth should be paid from that very wealth, and not that zakat for one thing be given from another thing.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The ruling regarding which there is no difference of opinion among us is that if a person possesses assets sufficient to pay off his debt, and in addition to that he has cash, then he should pay zakat on the cash.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If cash and goods combined are equal to his debt, then zakat will not be obligatory upon him until the cash exceeds his debt and reaches the nisab. As long as this is the case, he should give zakat.

It is narrated from Hazrat Zuraiq bin Hayan, who was appointed over the revenue office of Egypt during the times of Walid, Sulaiman bin Abdul Malik, and Umar bin Abdul Aziz, that Umar bin Abdul Aziz wrote to him: "Whoever among the Muslims passes by you, then whatever of their wealth is apparent from the trade goods, take from it one dinar out of every forty dinars, that is, the fortieth part. And if it is less than forty dinars, then according to the same calculation up to twenty dinars. If it is even one-third of a dinar less than twenty dinars, then leave that wealth, take nothing from it. And if any non-Muslim under your responsibility passes by you, then from his trade goods take one dinar out of every twenty dinars, and if it is less, then according to the same calculation up to ten dinars. If it is even one-third of a dinar less than ten dinars, then take nothing. And for whatever you take, write a separate receipt for the whole year."

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: In our view, the ruling is that once a trader has paid the zakat on his goods, and then in exchange for those goods he buys merchandise, cloth, or a slave, male or female, and then before a full year passes from the date of zakat payment he sells it, and if he does not sell that wealth for several years, then zakat will not be due on it. When he sells it, only one zakat will be required.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: In our view, the ruling is that if a person buys wheat or dates in exchange for gold or silver for the purpose of trade, then the goods remain with him until a year passes, and when the goods are sold, zakat will be obligatory on it if it reaches the amount of nisab. Its example will not be like that of agriculture or plucking fruit.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: If a trader possesses merchandise but does not have enough cash accumulated for zakat to be obligatory, then within one month of the year, the value of the goods and the cash will be combined and considered. If it reaches the amount of nisab, then zakat will be obligatory on it.

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whether one engages in trade or not, zakat will be obligatory on the wealth only once every year.

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Dinar that he heard from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), someone asked: What is Kanz (hoarded wealth)? He replied: Kanz is the wealth on which zakat is not given.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), he used to say: Whoever possesses wealth and does not pay its zakat, then on the Day of Resurrection that wealth will take the form of a bald snake with two black spots over its eyes, and it will search for its owner until it finds him. Then it will say to him: I am your wealth, the zakat of which you did not pay.