Q 8: Some women are extravagant in wearing gold, although it is Halal (lawful) to wear. What is the ruling on the Zakah on gold? Zakah is obviously one of the branches of the topic dealing with consumption and expenditure.
A: Gold and silk are only Halal for women to wear, not men. It was authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that he said, "Gold and silk are Halal for the women of my Ummah (nation based on one creed) and Haram (prohibited) for its men." (Related by Ahmad, AlNasa'y, and AlTirmidhy, who ranked it as Hadith Sahih [a Hadith that has been transmitted by people known for their uprightness and exactitude; free from eccentricity and blemish], from a Hadith narrated by Abu Musa AlAsh'ary [may Allah be pleased with him]) Scholars have differed as to whether Zakah is obligatory on jewelry or not. Some scholars are of the opinion that it is not obligatory on the jewelry that a woman wears or lends to others, while others said that it is obligatory; and this is the sound opinion. Zakah is obligatory on jewelry if it reaches the Nisab (the minimum amount on which Zakah is due) and a Hawl (one lunar year calculated from the time a property reaches the minimum amount upon which Zakah is due) passes, according to the general meaning of the evidence. The Nisab is twenty Mithqals (1 Mithqal = 4.25 grams) of gold and 140 Mithqals of silver. If the gold jewelry that a woman owns, whether it is in the form of necklaces, bracelets, or anything similar, reaches 20
Mithqals, equivalent to 11.5 Saudi golden Pounds, it is obligatory to pay Zakah on it. This amount in grams is 92 grams. So if the gold jewelry is equal to 92 grams 11.5 Saudi golden Pounds it is obligatory to pay Zakah on it. Zakah is onequarter of onetenth (2.5%), which means 25 out of every 1000 every Hawl. It was authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with her daughter, on whose hand were two thick bangles of gold. He (peace be upon him) asked, "Do you pay Zakah on these?" She said, "No." He (peace be upon him) said, "Would it please you if Allah were to encircle you on the Day of Resurrection with two bracelets of Fire because of them?" The narrator, 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn Al'As (may Allah be pleased with them both), said that she took them off, gave them to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, "They are for Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) and His Messenger." (Related by Abu Dawud and AlNasa'y with a Sahih Isnad [chain of narrators]) Um Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that she was wearing some gold ornaments, so she asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Is this Kanz (hoarded wealth, the Zakah of which has not been paid)?" He (peace be upon him) said, "Anything that reaches the amount at which Zakah is payable and its Zakah is paid is not considered Kanz." (Related by Abu Dawud and AlDarqutny, and ranked as Sahih by AlHakim) It was related by Abu Dawud in a Hadith narrated by 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) with a Sahih Sanad (chain of narrators) that she said, "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came to me and saw big silver rings on my hands. He (peace be upon him) said, 'What is this, O 'Aishah?' I said, 'I made them to adorn myself for you, O Messenger of Allah.' He (peace be upon him) said, 'Do you pay the Zakah due on them?' I said, 'No,' or 'What Allah wishes.' He (peace be upon him) said, ' They are sufficient for your (deserving) punishment of Fire.'" This Hadith was ranked as Sahih by AlHakim, as was mentioned by AlHafizh Ibn Rajab in: "Bulugh AlMaram". This is evidence that anything on which Zakah is not paid is hoarded wealth, whose owner will be tortured with on the Day of Judgment. May Allah forbid! We ask Allah to grant us all success, to help us, guide us, and make our deeds righteous. We also ask Allah (may He be Praised) to guide us, you, and all the Muslims together to do what is in the good of Islam and to let us all die committed to it. He is AllHearer, EverNear. May Allah's peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad, and his family and Companions!