Cryptocurrencies and digital assets are financial technologies that exist in today's modern era. A digital asset is something that has value and can be owned. It is a virtual thing that is not in real form and has no physical form. Or in other words, digital assets are digital entities owned by individuals or companies such as digital photos, videos and even songs. Instead, the data is created in the form of a file that resides on a storage device such as a computer or a cloud-based storage network.
However, Islamic finance experts have yet to agree on the legal use of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. This explanation focuses on the law of zakat related to cryptocurrency and digital assets according to Shariah in accordance with current developments.
Several fatwas have been submitted by jurists and international fiqh bodies as well as fatwa institutions in Malaysia against the law of zakat on cryptocurrencies. Among the views of jurists on zakat on cryptocurrency:
- Mata Wang Kripto Diqiyaskan Kepada ‘Nuqud’ (Mata Wang Dinar Dan Dirham) Dan Zakat Ke Atasnya Adalah Sebagaimana Zakat ‘Nuqud’.
Dr. Ibrahim Abdul Halim Ubadah menyatakan mata wang kripto adalah sejenis mata wang khusus, maka ia dianggap harta yang wajib dizakat. Ia sama seperti hukum zakat ke atas mata wang fiat yang diqiyaskan kepada hukum zakat ke atas mata wang emas dan perak. Ia kerana mata wang tersebut mempunyai sifat ‘ath-thumuniyyah al-mutlaqah’.
- Mata Wang Kripto Adalah Aset Digital Dan Hukum Zakat Ke Atasnya Diqiyaskan Kepada Hukum Zakat Perniagaan (‘Urud Tijarah).
Pendapat ini diputuskan oleh Jawatankuasa Fatwa Negeri Perlis menyatakan sebarang pemilikan aset digital berupa Bitcoin dikenakan zakat sekiranya ia cukup haul dan nisab. Zakat aset digital dikenakan zakat kerana di atas sifat ia adalah ‘Urud alTijarah (barang dagangan).
- The view of the Selangor Zakat Board (LZS)
Mata wang kripto termasuk kategori ‘al-Mal’ kerana ia harta yang mempunyai sifat al-Mutaqawwim. Maka ia diwajibkan zakat berdasarkan dalil-dalil umum kewajipan zakat terhadap ‘al-Mal’. Hukum zakat mata wang kripto bergantung kepada jenis kategori iaitu Barang Dagangan (‘Urud Tijarah) dan Mata Wang (Al-Sarf).
Apart from that, some references also explain that these digital assets can be categorized as currency or commodity. Meaning, if an asset is considered as currency, zakat can be charged based on savings zakat or income zakat. Whereas if a property is considered a commodity, the property is valuable, and if it is traded, it means that business zakat can be applied to a digital asset. To facilitate further discussion, it is appropriate to touch upon the theory of business zakat, savings zakat and income zakat in general.
Oleh itu, jika dia mempunyai sifat yang sama althamaniyyah, bermakna hukum emas dan perak akan terpakai. Jadi zakat simpanan adalah terpakai bagi kategori tersebut. Manakala bagi aset digital dalam kategori komoditi, boleh dikenakan dua jenis zakat, iaitu; zakat perniagaan dan zakat pendapatan (berasaskan teori zakat Mal Al-Mustafad) – Jika aset tersebut dijual semula untuk tujuan keuntungan yang mana memenuhi syarat-syarat zakat perniagaan.
Among the reasons put forward is because digital assets meet the nature of property and value. While in detail, the basis of digital asset zakat according to the opinion of the interviewed experts is;
i. Determination of digital assets as money or commodities.
ii. Looking at the position of digital assets from the althamaniyyah or al-muthman point of view.
iii. Considering digital assets as business items.
iv. Differentiating a digital asset for business, investment or savings.
Reference Source:
Selangor State Islamic Religious Council