Zakah on gold jewelry intended to be a gift
Fatwa No: 128222

Question

salamualaikum, I would like to make a clarification for calculating ZAKAAT. I have gold jewellery approx. 20 tolas(grams) and I know zakat is wajib on entire 20 tolas. I came to know through a question-answer program on TV that if we have intention to give a portion of gold to our daughter during her marriage, let us say 5 tolas. In that way, zakaat will be obligatory only on 15 tolas and the remaining 5 tolas will be exempted. Kindly give your opinion for the same ? Secondly, what rate shall we take for calculation, The market buying rate is Rs.15000 per gram & market selling rate wil be Rs.13000. ? Thanks and JAZAK....

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 is His slave and Messenger.

 

It is an obligation to pay Zakat on gold if it reaches the Nisaab (i.e. the minimum amount liable for Zakat) which is 20 Mithqaals (1 Mithqaal = 4.25 grams), which is the equivalent of 85 grams of gold and provided a whole lunar year elapses on it; for more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 81332.

Therefore, if you possess this quantity or more, then when a whole lunar year elapses, you are obliged to pay 2.5 % and your intention of gifting some gold to your daughter does not have any effect. However, if you had actually gifted it to her and she possessed it before a whole lunar year elapses, then you are not obliged to pay Zakah on the gifted portion but you are only obliged to pay Zakah on the amount that you have when a whole lunar year elapses if it reaches the Nisaab.

In principle, Zakat on gold should be paid from it [from gold]; however, it is permissible to pay Zakat on gold from silver and other currencies in circulation, and in this case, it is the sale price that should be taken into account.

Allaah Knows best.

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