Zakah on a Woman’s Jewelry

Question : This questioner says that she has gold that she uses, and she wears it. She has gold that she uses, and she wears it at various times throughout the year. Does she have to pay zakah on it, knowing that it is not for trade?

Answer : The correct opinion among the scholars is that jewelry made of gold or silver is subject to zakah if it reaches the nisab (minimum threshold for zakah). The nisab for gold is eighty-five grams, and for silver it is five hundred and ninety-five grams. If a woman has gold or silver jewelry that reaches the nisab, she is required to pay its zakah according to the stronger opinion among the scholars, whether it is for wearing or for lending.
Or for spending, if she needs it, she sells some of it. This is the stronger opinion, and praise be to Allah. Zakah is not a burden, but it is a gain, and there is great reward in it. However, sometimes a woman does not have money. We say: if her husband pays the zakah on her behalf, there is no harm, or her father or her brother. If none of them are available, let her sell from the jewelry the amount of her zakah and pay the zakah.