I am a revert to Islam. Do I need to pay Zakat on my wealth for the period when I was not Muslim?
Like Salah and other religious responsibilities and duties in Islam, they are obligatory upon Muslims only. A person who has embraced Islam should try to fulfil his or her responsibilities to the best of his/her ability. What the person did prior to embracing Islam is left behind.
Zakat is only obligatory upon Muslims. It is an act of ibadah (worship) and not a tax. As such, there is no Zakat to be paid for the period wherein a person was not Muslim.
Answered by Sh Abdullah Hasan (Zakat and fiqh specialist)