Question 390) - Upon what amount of gold is Zakah Fard?

A: When one owns 200 Mithqale* of gold and a year has passed in possession of it, then Zakah must be paid. He will pay a fortieth of his wealth, which amounts to a half Mithqal. Thereafter for every 4 Mithqal he will pay 2 Qirat. There is no Zakah upon the extra amount less than 4 Mithqat according to Imaam Abu Hanifa RAH. His two companions say that a half Mithqal is due on 20 Mithqal and anything above 20 is calculated proportionally.

*Ad-Durr al-Muktar: ?Nisab of gold is 20 Mithqal and silver 200 Dirham. 10 Dirham weighs 7 Mithqal or Dinar" A dinar equals 20 Qirat. A dirham equals 14 Qirat. A Qirat is 5 barley. The Shar'i Dirham is thus 70 barley, and a Mithqal is 100 barley or 1 and three-sevenths of a Dirham." As for the new weights, the people of accounting differ. Some say that 20 Mithqal equals 85 grams, others 87g, others 90g. Caution is desirous in the shari'ah, hence one who owns 85g of gold or its value for a year should pay Zakah" There is a difference on silver as well. Some say 595.1g; or 609.2g; or 612.39. Caution calls for that here too the least amount be declared the nisab. So one who owns 595g of silver or ots value in the prevalent currency should pay zakah on it.

~ al-Quduri ~