Discussion of the assets subject to zakah, first: gold and silver, with mention of their nisab.
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The Shaykh : We are now speaking about the assets subject to zakah. Gold and silver are subject to zakah in whatever form they are and for whatever purpose they are prepared, provided they reach the nisab. The nisab for silver is one hundred and forty mithqals, and for gold it is twenty mithqals. In grams, this is eighty-five grams for gold and five hundred and ninety-five grams for silver. Anything less than that is not subject to zakah. However, if a person has half the nisab of gold and half the nisab of silver, does one complete the other? There is scholarly disagreement on this, and the correct view is that one does not complete the other. This is because the texts indicating the obligation of zakah on gold established a specific nisab for it, and the texts indicating the obligation of zakah on silver established a specific nisab for it. Therefore, each type must be considered separately, as the texts indicate. This is based on the textual evidence.
Now I ask you: does gold complete the nisab with silver?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : I mean, if he has half the nisab of gold and half the nisab of silver, does one complete the other?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : I mean, does one combine with the other? All right, rest. All right, I say that some scholars hold that one is added to the other. So if a person has half the nisab of gold and half the nisab of silver, zakah becomes obligatory on him if we adopt the view of combining them. If we adopt the view of not combining them, zakah is not obligatory on him. The correct view is not to combine them, because the texts established an independent nisab for gold and an independent nisab for silver. This is from the textual evidence. As for analogical reasoning, is barley combined with wheat to complete the nisab? I mean, if a person has half the nisab of barley and half the nisab of wheat, is zakah obligatory on him by combining one with the other? The answer is no. If barley is not combined with wheat to complete the nisab, even though the purpose of both is the same, which is food, then likewise gold is not combined with silver to complete the nisab. This is the stronger position. All right, pay attention now.
Zakah is obligatory on gold and silver.
Now I ask you: does gold complete the nisab with silver?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : I mean, if he has half the nisab of gold and half the nisab of silver, does one complete the other?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : I mean, does one combine with the other? All right, rest. All right, I say that some scholars hold that one is added to the other. So if a person has half the nisab of gold and half the nisab of silver, zakah becomes obligatory on him if we adopt the view of combining them. If we adopt the view of not combining them, zakah is not obligatory on him. The correct view is not to combine them, because the texts established an independent nisab for gold and an independent nisab for silver. This is from the textual evidence. As for analogical reasoning, is barley combined with wheat to complete the nisab? I mean, if a person has half the nisab of barley and half the nisab of wheat, is zakah obligatory on him by combining one with the other? The answer is no. If barley is not combined with wheat to complete the nisab, even though the purpose of both is the same, which is food, then likewise gold is not combined with silver to complete the nisab. This is the stronger position. All right, pay attention now.
Zakah is obligatory on gold and silver.