Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Asalamwa laikum Burhan Bhai,

 

I have an aunt whose husband is in heavy debt but she also has lots and lots of Gold with her. Her husband and her always say that it is not obligatory for them to pay Zakat. They both also have lots property from which they dont earn anything. Its just barren. Many people are also suspicious that they have also lots of cash with them as to when ever some trouble comes up, from nowhere they get cash and never talk about it. Please advise, is this what they are doing is bad. I appreciate them that they pray 5 times a day.

 

Thank you

Allah Hafiz 

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Zakah on gold

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Other than the value of the one house one lives in himself, all the other properties one owns, and all the gold one owns, and all the excess cash available which has been in their possession for a period of one year will be liable for zakah payment at the rate of 2.5% of the current market value. 

 

Allah has made the payment of ‘zakah’ obligatory upon the believers, and the Messenger of Allah (saws) named the payment of the obligatory ‘zakah’ dues as one of the five pillars of Islam.  The people who refuse to pay their ‘zakah’ dues will have a very severe accounting in the Presence of the Majestic Lord on the Day of Judgment.

 

Sahih Muslim Hadith 2161 (part)      Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘If any owner of gold or silver does not pay what is due from him, when the Day of Resurrection comes, plates of fire will be beaten out for him. These will then be heated in the fire of Hell and his sides, his forehead and his back will be cauterized with them. Whenever these cool down, (the process is) repeated for a day, the extent of which will be fifty thousand years, until judgment is pronounced upon the servants, and he sees whether his path is to take him to Paradise or to Hell.’

 

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 1558  Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As

A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) and she was accompanied by her daughter who wore two heavy gold bangles in her hands.  He (saws) said to her: ‘Do you pay zakat on them?’  She said: ‘No.’  He (saws) then said: ‘Are you pleased that Allah may put two bangles of fire on your hands?’  Thereupon she took them off and placed them before the Prophet (saws) saying: ‘They are for Allah and His Messenger (saws).’

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your Brother in Islam,

 

 

Burhan