As-Salaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaah
What is the limit of wealth which makes one ineligible to receive Zakaah? Kindly provide the details of this issue, and mention the different opinions of the scholars, their proofs, and why they differ in this respect, and the preponderant opinion.

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, is His Slave and Messenger.

There is a difference of opinion among the scholars regarding the limit of wealth which makes one ineligible for Zakah.

According to Ash-Shaafi‘i a wealthy person is him to whom the term ‘richness’ at its minimum requirements applies.

Abu Haneefah goes for the opinion that what prevents one from receiving Zakah is his possession of the due amount of Nisaab (which makes Zakah due), because the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, called the owner of the Nisaab "rich", as shown in the narration of Al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas in which he said: “Allaah Enjoined upon them a charity in their property to be taken from the rich among them.”

Maalik argues that there is no certain limit in it, and it rather depends on personal reasoning.

The difference of opinion among them goes back to their difference as to whether richness should be construed according to its linguistic or Sharee‘ah-defined meaning. Those who construe it according to its Sharee‘ah-defined meaning claim that the possession of Nisaab is wealth; and those who opt for the linguistic meaning give consideration to the minimum requirements by which the term is true.

On the other hand, those who see that the minimum requirements by which the term is true are definable at every time and with each person, make those minimum requirements the limit of richness. while those who see that they are not definable and rather differ by the difference of states, needs, persons, and so on, say that the wealth which makes one ineligible for Zakah is not definable.

The preponderant opinion is that it is limited only by what satisfies need and realizes sufficiency, depending on the narration of Ahmad, Muslim and Abu Daawood on the authority of Qabeesah ibn Mukhaariq in which he said: “… begging is made lawful for him until he gets what sustains himself.” 

The Hadeeth gives evidence that begging is permissible for him who does not have what satisfies his need or realizes his sufficiency. Being so, the ruling of the poor is true of him, even if he possesses more than the Nisaab.

Allaah Knows best.