Paying Zakah on gold

25-3-2004 | IslamWeb

Question:

I want to pay Zakaah on my gold. I have not paid Zakaah on my gold for the last 3 years. How much is due and when is it due - every year, every month?
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

 

The majority of the Maaliki, Shaafi’i, and Hanbali scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them are of the view that there is no Zakah on a woman's jewelry as long as she uses it as an adornment regardless whether she wears it daily or on special occasions. This opinion is reported from five companions of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. They all said: "There is no Zakah on the woman's jewelry".  This is the most preponderant opinion.

However, the Hanafi School of jurisprudence is of the view that it is compulsory to give Zakah on gold that a woman wears daily or which she uses as adornment. Their evidence is that ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-‘Aas may Allaah be pleased with him narrated that a woman came to the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) and she was accompanied by her daughter who wore two heavy gold bangles in her hands. Thereupon the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) asked her: ''Do you pay Zakah on them?’’ She replied: ‘‘No.’’ He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) then said: ''Will you be pleased that Allaah puts two bangles of fire on your hands?'' Thereupon she took them off and placed them before the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) saying: ''They are for Allaah and His Messenger.'' [Abu Daawood]

However, At-Tirmithi may Allaah have mercy upon him said that there are no authentic Prophetic narrations in this chapter.

Nonetheless, even though we consider that the view of the majority of the scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them is the most preponderant opinion, we think that it is better to pay Zakah on jewelry if one is well-off in order to be on the safe side and in order to fulfill the rights of the poor.

The procedure for paying Zakah for whoever whishes to do so, is to know the weight of gold on the day when the Zakah is due and it should be valued according to the market price [on this particular day] without considering the price at which it was purchased, and then pay from that 2.5% of its value. The Nisaab (the minimum amount liable for Zakah) for gold is 85 grams and it is only an obligation to pay the Zakah if the gold reaches the Nisaab and a whole lunar year elapses on possessing it.

Allaah Knows best.

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