Zakah on women's jewelry

3-4-2005 | IslamWeb

Question:

With all respects I want to ask you some questions to increase my knowledge and to do what Allah wants me to do Insha Allah.My question is, is there any Zakah on gold jewelry? I have heard there is a school that says there is no Zakah on women's gold jewelry. I am so confused. Can one ask a Fatwa on the same topic from different scholars? Why there is a difference of opinion in scholars, since we are all Muslims and we all follow Allah and his Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him). What I think is that there should not be a difference of opinion. A scholar told me that I can ask the same question from different scholars in order to increase my knowledge but my intention should be to find out the righteous and correct answer for myself. But you know as being a human being one will follow according to his own desires. For example if one scholar tells me there is no Zakah on woman's gold jewelry and the other says there is Zakah and also one scholar tells that abortion is lawful when the fetus is not normal and on the other hand the other tells it is unlawful what do you think what would i do. you know i will automatically follow the one who would tell me according to my desires. I am just confused and want to solve the mystery. I hope you will satisfy me as being a scholar you have more knowledge then me. Please help me to lead my life according to Qur'an and Sunnah.

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 scholars believe that there is no Zakah on the woman's jewelry as long as she uses it as an ornament regardless of whether she wears it often or rarely. This opinion is reported from five companions of the Prophet who all said: "There is no Zakah in the woman's jewelry. However, Imaam Abu Hanifa  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him see that it is compulsory to give the Zakah of gold even if it used by the woman for ornament. This is also the opinion of some contemporary Muslim scholars who took the following Hadith reported from Abdullaah Ibn Amar Ibn Al-'Aas  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him  as their evidence. Abdullaah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him narrated that a woman came to the Prophet,  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) accompanied by her daughter who was wearing two bracelets of gold. The Prophet,  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention )  said to her: "Do you give the Zakah of this?" She replied: 'No'. The Prophet,  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "Will you be pleased that Allaah puts two bracelets of fire around you on the Day of Judgement". [Abu Daawood]

So, we think that it is safer for anyone who is materially capable to give the Zakah of jewelry used for private ornament as this is looking after the rights of the poor and the needy. But it is not obligatory.
Allaah knows best.

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