Is Zakat Due on Gold Alloys and Mixed-Karat Jewelry?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
In Hanafi fiqh, when gold predominates in an alloy, is zakat calculated on the full weight as gold for both the nisab and the amount due, without distinguishing between different karat levels?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
Zakat is obligatory on gold items in which gold constitutes more than 50% of the total composition. If the proportion of gold is less than half, zakat is not obligatory. Gold of six to twelve karats, therefore, does not reach the required threshold, as it contains less gold than other substances.
Threshold
Gold between 14 and 24 karats will be subject to zakat if the total weight reaches the required threshold of 87.48 grams. This is because other substances overshadow the minor gold content and do not carry the ruling of pure gold, unlike 14 karat gold and higher, where the majority is gold, making it subject to the ruling of pure gold. This is in accordance with the classical understanding of Hanafi jurisprudence. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Related
- Zakat: A Comprehensive SeekersGuidance Reader
- Zakat Calculator
- Zakat: How to Calculate & Whom to Give – SeekersGuidance
Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received a traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Currently, he resides in the UK with his wife and is interested in reading and gardening.
