Zakat and Marriage: Have the Rules Changed?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam
Question: Assalam u Alaikum,
(1)My husband became owner of the zakatable minimum on April 30, 2013. Next year on April 25, 2014, we bought a car and gave huge down payment. We concluded that he is not eligible for zakat this year.
(2)In Jan 2014 I received gold worth more than the zakatable minimum. Do I have to wait one lunar year to pay zakat on my gold or was my husband still above the zakatable minimum in April 2014 because of my gold?
Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
I pray that you are in the best of health and faith, insha’Allah.
(1) The zakat year is one lunar year; this is shorter than the standard solar year. Thus your husband should calculate the Islamic (hijri) date when he possessed the zakatable minimum (nisab) and calculate based on that.
(2) You are responsible for your zakat and he is responsible for his. Though he can pay on your behalf, with your permission, you do not combine your wealth together.
Please see: Zakat: How to Calculate & Whom to Give
And Allah alone gives success.
Wassalam,
Tabraze Azam
Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani