Question
Hello Assalamu Alaikum.
I have a confusion regarding Zakat Calculation.
I live in Bangladesh and as per my country, the Zakat’s Nisab amount is
(7.5 vori) or 87.48 grams of 22K selling price of Gold = BDT 594,864 ($5532)
(52.5 tola) 612.36 grams of Silver = BDT 52,650 ($490)
Now, I do not own any gold. However, I do work and I get BDT 60,000 ($558) per month in my salary bank account, which goes above the Nisab amount if I consider the Nisab price of Silver (BDT 52,650 ($490))
I am getting this salary amount starting on 1st Feb 2023 (10/Rajab/1444) and I know I need to calculate my zakat on (10/Rajab/1445).
My query is during this whole period of time (10/Rajab/1444 to 10/Rajab/1445), I spend some money from my salary for the purpose of rent, food, shopping, etc. For this spending my money goes below the Nisab amount. However, I will most likely save around BDT 20,000 ($186) per month from my salary.
For example:
1st Feb 2023 (10/Rajab/1444):
I got BDT60,000 ($558) and at the end of the month my remaining balance was BDT20,000 ($186)
1st Mar 2023 (9/Shaaban/1444):
I got again BDT60,000 ($558) and at the end of the month my remaining balance was BDT40,000 ($372)
1st Apr 2023 (10/Ramadan/1444):
I got again BDT60,000 ($558) and at the end of the month my remaining balance will be InShaAllah BDT60,000 ($558)
Now my question is:
1. Did I hit my Nisab on 1st Feb 2023 or 1st Apr 2023? from when should I mark the clock counting date? (My confusion here is I DID get the money above nisab in Feb23 but did not end up in Feb23 with the nisab amount which is Silver (BDT 52,650 ($490)).
2. Imagine a scenario: let’s say on 1st May 2023 (11/Shawwal/1444) I had to use a lot of money for an emergency. For this reason, my remaining balance got down to BDT20,000 ($186), which fell below the Nisab amount. So for such a case, should I restart my Nisab counting date and wait for the date when my money hits back again the Nisab amount (Silver BDT 52,650 ($490))?
3. (continuing number2) Let’s say my remaining balance got down to BDT20,000 ($186) on 1st May 2023 (11/Shawwal/1444) but I however, at the end of one full year in the day of Zakat, I ended up with a bank balance BDT80,000 ($744). In other words, let’s say I was in a crisis for some reason for 2 or 3 months in the middle of the year, which is below the Nisab. However, on the day of Zakat I ended up with a balance BDT80,000 ($744) that is above the Nisab. In such a case, what is the ruling? (My confusion here is should I have to maintain a stable amount throughout the year that is above the Nisab and does not go down the Nisab amount?)
4. My wife has gold. She wears some of the gold ornaments in daily life and she also has gold that has been kept stored. I researched and found that there are some disputes among scholars that gold that a female wears will not be counted for zakat. Only the golds that have been kept stored will be counted as Zakats. Others say that all the gold will be counted as zakat even if the owner wears or not does not matter. What is the authentic answer for this?
5. Do I need to hit my Nisab separately for Gold and separately for Silver? Or can it be put together?
For example: let’s say I have 80 grams of Gold AND 550 grams of Silver. Separately, they do not hit Nisab but putting together, they do hit the nisab. What is the authentic Nisab in this case?
Thanks
Answer
- If on the 10th of Rajab you gained the nisab amount, that will become your zakat date and you will pay zakat on the zakatable assets you own the following year on the 10th of Rajab provided you are still above the nisab. It does not matter if during the year your assets dropped below the nisab. Hence, if on the 1oth of Rajab you gained the nisab but by the end of Rajab you were below the nisab that would not make a difference to your zakat date. The only time the date will reset is if you lost all your zakatable assets and had a balance of $0 or less due to debt. In such a case you will have to note down the first time you regained the nisab after your assets went down to $0.
- As mentioned above you will not reset your date unless your zakatable assets reach $0.
- Answer above.
- According to the Hanafi school of law zakat is paid on all gold regardless of whether it is worn or just stored.
- If a person has a variety of assets, for example gold and silver, or silver and cash, or gold and cash, or gold and silver and cash then they will go by the silver nisab and combine the value of these assets. If the value exceeds the nisab then they will pay zakat. If however, a person only has gold and not even 1 gram of silver or $1 of cash then they will go by the gold nisab.
Please see the following playlist for more details regarding zakat:
بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (2/ 18)
وَأَمَّا صِفَةُ نِصَابِ الذَّهَبِ فَنَقُولُ: لَا يُعْتَبَرُ فِي نِصَابِ الذَّهَبِ أَيْضًا صِفَةٌ زَائِدَةٌ عَلَى كَوْنِهِ ذَهَبًا فَتَجِبُ الزَّكَاةُ فِي الْمَضْرُوبِ وَالتِّبْرِ وَالْمَصُوغِ وَالْحُلِيِّ إلَّا عَلَى أَحَدِ قَوْلَيْ الشَّافِعِيِّ فِي الْحُلِيِّ الَّذِي يَحِلُّ اسْتِعْمَالُهُ وَالصَّحِيحُ قَوْلُنَا؛ لِأَنَّ قَوْله تَعَالَى {وَالَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ} [التوبة: 34] وَقَوْلَ النَّبِيِّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – فِي كِتَابِ عَمْرِو بْنِ حَزْمٍ وَحَدِيثِ عَلِيٍّ يَقْتَضِي الْوُجُوبَ فِي مُطْلَقِ الذَّهَبِ
Answered by:
Ifta Research Fellow
Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel