Is there zakah on a woman's jewelry?

The questioner : Is there zakah in a woman's jewelry?

The Shaykh : The stronger opinion among the scholars is that zakah is obligatory on a woman's jewelry that is used, lent out, or kept for a need—such that when she needs it, she sells it and spends the proceeds—and jewelry kept for adornment. All of this is subject to zakah due to the generality of the evidence, and indeed due to the specific evidence regarding it. For in the hadith of 'Amr ibn Shu'ayb from his father from his grandfather: meaning: if you do not pay its zakah Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said in *Bulugh al-Maram*: "The three [books] reported it, and its chain is strong."
And Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar—no one is ignorant of his standing in the science of hadith—and Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz said regarding this hadith: "Its chain is authentic, and it is supported by the generality of the text, as in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah that Muslim narrated: to the end of the hadith.
The woman who has gold jewelry is a possessor of gold, so the implication of this generality and comprehensiveness is that she falls under this warning. As for those who say that there is no zakah in it, and that this is like clothing prepared for use, in which there is no zakah, like perfume, the scholars call this analogical reasoning (qiyas) in opposition to an explicit text. Analogical reasoning in opposition to an explicit text is invalid and not to be followed. As for the evidence they cited from the report that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: this is not authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Furthermore, it is not correct in terms of meaning, because some jewelry is subject to zakah by consensus.
So the correct view is: It is obligatory for the woman to pay the zakah of her jewelry when it reaches the nisab. Every year she should appraise it and pay a quarter of a tenth, meaning two and a half percent. Then, if she has money, she pays from her money. If she has no money and her husband or one of her relatives pays it on her behalf, there is no harm. If that is not the case, she sells an amount of the jewelry equal to the zakah and pays the zakah.
Someone might say: If we oblige her to sell from the jewelry, the jewelry will be exhausted and nothing will remain with her. The answer to this is from two angles:
The first angle: If the jewelry falls below the nisab, even by a barley grain, what happens? There is no zakah on eighty-five grams; this is the nisab. Eighty-four grams, there is no zakah on it. Praise be to Allah, eighty-four grams is sufficient for her.
Second: Let us say, and let all the money be exhausted, so what is the difference between jewelry and dirhams? Even with dirhams, if a person has dirhams and we say: pay its zakah every year, and the zakah reduces it, reduces it, reduces it, until we suppose all the dirhams are gone, what is the difference between this and that? Then we give good news to the woman who pays her zakah that, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And Allah the Exalted may send down blessing upon this jewelry for her, protecting it from calamities and loss. Otherwise, the woman may be afflicted with the loss of her jewelry, or its theft, or lending it to someone who denies it, or the like of that.
Then, if she pays the charity for this jewelry, it will be a shade for her on the Day of Resurrection, by the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): So praise be to Allah, she is a gainer and not a loser. She has cleared her obligation with certainty if she pays the zakah, and she is at ease. Yes, did you understand now? Where is the questioner? Did you understand? Did you understand that it is obligatory? May Allah reward you. We ask Allah to help us and you in implementing this.