Gold, silver and jewellery

Gold and silver: the basic rule Gold and silver are subject to zakaat by the Qur'an (9:34-35), the Sunna and the agreement of scholars, whatever their form: bars, coins, objects. The rate is 2.5% when the nisab (85 g of gold, 595 g of silver) is reached and the year has passed. The Prophet ﷺ said: "There is no owner of gold or silver who does not pay its due without plates of fire being made of it for him on the Day of Resurrection…" (Muslim 987).

Counting gold that is not pure The nisab refers to pure gold. For a piece of jewellery, one calculates the pure gold it contains: • 24 carats ≈ 99.9% gold; 22 carats ≈ 91.7%; 18 carats ≈ 75%; 14 carats ≈ 58.5%; 10 carats ≈ 41.7%. • Example: a 40 g bracelet in 18 carats contains 40 × 0.75 = 30 g of pure gold. Precious stones (diamonds, pearls) are not subject to zakaat in themselves, unless they are merchandise intended for sale (lesson 5).

Worn jewellery: an old difference of opinion The question is whether the gold or silver jewellery a woman usually wears, in usual quantities, is subject to zakaat. • First position, that of the Hanafi school and of contemporary scholars: yes, zakaat is due on worn jewellery as soon as the nisab is reached. Arguments: the general wording of the verses and hadiths on gold and silver; the hadith of the woman who came with her daughter wearing two heavy gold bracelets, whom the Prophet ﷺ asked whether she paid their zakaat (Abu Daawuud 1563) [À VÉRIFIER : numéro et degré]; and other similar reports attributed to 'Aa'isha and Umm Salama [À VÉRIFIER]. • Second position, that of the Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools: no, lawful jewellery worn as adornment is not subject to zakaat, like clothes. Arguments: it is used, as a personal item, and not kept to make wealth grow; companions, including 'Aa'isha, Ibn 'Umar and Jaabir, did not pay it on their relatives' jewellery, according to reports transmitted by Maalik and others [À VÉRIFIER : attributions]. • Both positions agree on several points: jewellery kept as savings or investment, jewellery that is almost never worn, jewellery far beyond usual use, and men's gold (forbidden to them as adornment) are subject to zakaat [À VÉRIFIER : limites précises selon les écoles]. • Some advise, as a precaution, paying zakaat on worn jewellery, to step out of the disagreement; others recall that following the position of the three schools is entirely legitimate. [À VÉRIFIER : présentation pour l'imam et avis enseigné au centre]

Worked example (fictitious price: gold at CA$130 per gram) Salma owns: • 22-carat jewellery that she wears regularly: 70 g, that is 70 × 0.917 ≈ 64.2 g of pure gold; • gold coins bought as savings: 30 g of pure gold; • $5,000 of savings. According to the first position: total gold 64.2 + 30 = 94.2 g, that is 94.2 × 130 ≈ $12,246; with the savings, $17,246; zakaat: 17,246 × 2.5% ≈ $431. According to the second position: one counts only the coins (30 × 130 = $3,900) and the savings ($5,000), that is $8,900. This total exceeds the silver nisab ($892.50 at the fictitious price of $1.50/g): zakaat 8,900 × 2.5% = $222.50. But it does not reach the gold nisab ($11,050): with that threshold, nothing is due. This example shows that two questions intersect: jewellery, and the chosen threshold. Hence the importance of asking the imam's opinion once, and then keeping to it every year.

Silver (the metal) and objects Gold or silver objects that are not jewellery (tableware, decorations) are subject to zakaat according to all positions, especially as their use for tableware is forbidden or disapproved (Bukhari 5426, Muslim 2067) [À VÉRIFIER : numéro].

The text: Surah At-Tawba (9), verses 34 to 35 ۞ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنَ الْأَحْبَارِ وَالرُّهْبَانِ لَيَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَالَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنْفِقُونَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ ﴿٣٤﴾ يَوْمَ يُحْمَىٰ عَلَيْهَا فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ فَتُكْوَىٰ بِهَا جِبَاهُهُمْ وَجُنُوبُهُمْ وَظُهُورُهُمْ ۖ هَٰذَا مَا كَنَزْتُمْ لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا مَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْنِزُونَ ﴿٣٥﴾

Meaning: "O you who believe! Many rabbis and monks consume people's wealth unjustly and turn others away from the path of Allah. And those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend them in the path of Allah, give them tidings of a painful punishment, on the day when these metals will be heated in the fire of Hell, and their foreheads, their sides and their backs branded with them: this is what you hoarded for yourselves; so taste what you used to hoard." Ibn 'Umar explained that wealth whose zakaat is paid is not a "treasure" (kanz) in the sense of this verse [À VÉRIFIER : source].

Arabic text: Tanzil Quran Text (Simple, version 1.0.2), © 2008-2010 Tanzil.net, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence, reproduced without any change (http://tanzil.net). Each verse is on its own line, followed by its number; the basmala, which the Tanzil file places at the start of the first verse, is written on its own line.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Gold and silver are the oldest form of saved wealth: this is why the Qur'an names them. The threat in verse 9:34-35 is not aimed at owning gold, but at keeping it without giving its due. Paying zakaat is what turns lawful savings into blessed wealth. The question of jewellery shows how difference of opinion works in Islamic law. Both positions start from the same sources: one holds to the general wording of the texts on gold, the other to the distinction between what is used and what is saved. Neither is an invention; each is held by recognised schools and scholars. The believer follows the position of the imam or school he follows, without despising the other. The practical calculations (carats, weights, the day's price) are simple once understood: one converts everything into grams of pure gold, then into dollars.

Lessons to draw from it • Make an inventory of the family's gold and silver: jewellery, coins, objects, with their weight and carat. • Clearly distinguish what is worn from what is savings. • Find out the price per gram on the zakaat day. • Choose a position with the imam, then apply it consistently. • Do not hoard: savings should keep a purpose (home, studies, marriage, helping relatives).

Key points to remember • Gold and silver subject to zakaat: 9:34-35, Muslim 987. • One counts pure gold: 22 carats ≈ 91.7%, 18 carats ≈ 75%. • Precious stones are not subject in themselves, unless merchandise. • Worn jewellery: due according to the Hanafi school; not due according to the other three schools [À VÉRIFIER]. • Savings jewellery, men's gold, gold or silver objects: due according to all.

The main message Owning gold is not wrong; keeping it without returning its due is: count it precisely and consistently follow the position the imam has explained to you.