It is incumbent upon a Muslim to pay zakah the moment it becomes due, without delay or hesitation. Yet it is permissible to advance the payment—by as much as two lunar years—for the Prophet ﷺ accepted al-ʿAbbās’s zakah two years in advance, as reported by Ahmad and Abu Dawud. Thus, once the cause of liability has arisen, the majority of scholars allow zakah to be paid early, whether it concerns livestock, grain, or trade goods, provided the owner possesses the nisab (minimum taxable amount). Nevertheless, refraining from prepayment is preferable, so as to avoid the point of scholarly disagreement.