Is zakat due on gold a woman wears?
Short answer
The matter is disputed, and the Shaykh held the preponderant view that zakat is obligatory on gold and silver jewellery if it reaches the nisab and a year passes over it.
Evidence and explanation
The source states the existence of disagreement, then the Shaykh held that zakat is obligatory if the jewellery reaches the nisab and a year passes over it.
Scholar referenced
This editorial summary is based on the original source linked below and is not presented as a verbatim quotation from the scholar.
The views of several scholars on this issue
The views differ on the zakat of gold and silver jewellery prepared for permissible use, unlike jewellery prepared for trade; so each scholar's view is mentioned independently, without attributing a view to all of Ahl al-Sunnah.
For jewellery prepared for permissible use: Ibn Baz and Ibn al-'Uthaymin held the preponderant view that zakat is obligatory if it reaches the nisab and a year passes, while al-Fawzan was attributed the preference that it is not obligatory, according to the view of the majority (an attribution not yet verified from its source). The description 'preponderant' here is attributed to the scholar who chose it, and is not a ruling issued by the site.
An effective restriction: jewellery prepared for use differs from stored gold or gold prepared for trade; so neither view may be generalised to all forms.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him
He held that zakat is obligatory on worn gold and silver jewellery if it reaches the nisab and a year passes over it.
A textual fatwa on the Shaykh's site- The view the scholar preferred or determined
- Zakat is obligatory with its conditions — the preference of Shaykh Ibn Baz
- How the evidence is derived in his source
- In the source he cited the general hadiths on the zakat of gold and silver, the hadith of the two bracelets, and the hadith of Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-'Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy on him
He held that zakat is obligatory on permissible jewellery prepared for use if it reaches the nisab, and made clear the evidences he relied on.
A textual fatwa in the Shaykh's official archive- The view the scholar preferred or determined
- Zakat is obligatory with its conditions — the preference of Shaykh Ibn al-'Uthaymin
- How the evidence is derived in his source
- He cited the hadith of the owner of gold and silver, and the hadith of the two gold bangles, and discussed the analogy of jewellery to clothes and vessels and held that it does not contradict the text.
Shaykh Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him
In the published answer he held that zakat is not obligatory on jewellery prepared for wearing and adornment, and mentioned that it is the view of the majority of the scholars.
The text of an answer with audio material published in the Shaykh's archive- The view the scholar preferred or determined
- Not obligatory on jewellery for use — the preference of Shaykh al-Fawzan
- How the evidence is derived in his source
- He mentioned that jewellery prepared for use has become among the used possessions like clothes and homes, and attributed the non-obligation to the majority of the scholars.
A methodological note: presenting a scholar's preference does not mean the site preferred it, and it is not right to describe it as the absolute preponderant view merely because of many agreeing. The editorial summaries and the explanation of how the evidence is derived have not yet been approved by independent Shari'ah review; read the original source in full. The details of the incident may affect the ruling.
Source
Ruling on the zakat of a woman's jewellery and its nisab
Title of the original page (Arabic): حكم زكاة حلي المرأة ونصابه
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him