Zakaah only due if money reaches nisaab

Fatwa Date : Shawwaal 4, 1437 / 9-7-2016

Question
Assalaamu alaykum respected Sheikh. I have been told that if you do not have wea
lth that has been kept for one year, like savings, then there is no zakah due. I
also heard that the Nisaab for gold jewellery is 85 grams and that that of silv
er is a little more than 550 grams. I have five gold rings that do not weigh mor
e than five grams and are not pure gold. Also, I have a few silver rings that ar
e less than five grams and of which I am not sure of their purity. And we do not
own any money that we have had more than a few months. So everyone tells me tha
t I do not need to pay zakah. But I feel uneasy about this and feel I am doing s
omething wrong buy not paying zakah on my jewellery because of the hadith of our
Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) tha
t says that wealth on which zakah was not paid will be a punishment. And althoug
h we do not have any money that has been saved for more than a few months, my hu
sband and I and our kids live a very comfortable life, praise be to Allaah, and
we always have an amount left after paying our living expenses. We are not poor
people, praise be to Allaah. May Allaah ease the suffering of our brothers. So m
y conscience is telling me that I should be paying zakah, and I am worried of wh
at will happen if it turns out that we should be doing so because of our good co
nditions. May Allaah reward you.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is
none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi w
a sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.
Zakaah is only due when the money reaches the Nisaab (minimum amount liable for
zakaah) and one year elapses on it. The Nisaab of gold is approximately 85 grams
of pure gold, and the Nisaab of silver is approximately 595 grams of pure silve
r. Please, refer to fatwa 81355.
On the other hand, there is a difference of opinion regarding the jewelry kept f
or adornment and whether or not zakaah must be paid on it (if it reaches the Nis
aab). But it is better to pay zakaah on it in order to be on the safe side.
Based on the above, since you do not possess a Nisaab on which zakaah must be pa
id, then you are not obliged to pay zakaah, and you are not sinful for this. So
you have no sound reason to say that you do not feel at ease or the like. Howeve
r, the door of charity (Sadaqah) is open, and there is much good in voluntary ch
arity. So if you wish to give something in charity after fulfilling your needs,
then you will get a reward from Allaah for it. Allaah says (what means): {But wh
atever thing you spend [in His cause] - He will compensate it; and He is the bes
t of providers.} [Quran 34:39]
For more benefit, please refer to fatwa 100610.
Allaah knows best.