Zakat on Jewelery

Question:

Asalam alikum. Husband fixed a pocket money of $150/month but I asked him to increase it to $250 since only my zakat (divided over 12 months) comes out to be around $200/month. He agreed and this went on for about an year but now he says that your Zakat is entirely your responsibility and that he should only give me $150 that he promised before. I used to work but now he does not allow me to do so. Please guide on what should be done. Jazak Allah khair.

Answer:

Wa Alaikum Assalaam,

A person will pay zakat on what he/she owns. Zakat becomes compulsory on one’s savings when it has reached the nisaab. It does not come upon personal items of an individual, house, furniture and appliances, cars etc. which are for one’s personal use. However, in the case of jewellery, one will pay zakat on this even though it may be one’s personal jewellery.

A husband will pay zakat on his savings when it reaches a nisaab, and the wife will pay zakat on her savings when it reaches a nisaab.If the wife does not have the means to pay zakat for her jewellery, then she may give a piece of her jewellery in zakat which is to the value of what she must pay. She may also ask her husband for that amount to pay her zakaah on her jewellery and pay him afterwards when she can do so.

If the husband pays on behalf of the wife, it's a gift from him and if the intention of zakat has been made, this will be accepted and wife doesn't have to pay again for that year.

If these cannot be done, she will wait until she has the means and pay for her past zakaah. If finding the means to pay zakaah on her jewellery is difficult, then she will have no other choice except to give part of her jewellery in zakaah.

And Allah Knows Best

Mufti Umer Farooq Saleem