Zakat on Gold Jewelry: Is it Obligatory and Can it be Paid to Children

Understanding Zakat on Gold and its Distribution to Family Members

In the Name of Allāh, the Entirely Gracious, the Exclusively Merciful

 Question: 

The questioner says: A woman has one hundred and twelve grams of gold which she wears, is there Zakat upon it? And is it permissible for her to pay her Zakat to her children?

 The answer:

Zakat is upon her, it is obligatory upon her to pay a quarter of a tenth on what she owns. Zakat is obligatory on that which equals twenty Dinars or more, and that in grams is roughly equal to eighty-five grams or more. 

As for her paying it to her children, then if she is the one who financially provides for them their needs then it suffices her and she must not give her children from her Zakat. And if the one who is responsible for financially providing for the children is her husband and with that they are still in need, then she is allowed to specify her husband and her children with her Zakat money, because the provider is the husband and not her. 

And it is not permissible to give your Zakat money to the one who it is obligatory for you to provide for. Hence, it is impermissible for the husband to give his Zakat money to his wife, and for the father to pay it to his children whom he is in authority over and provides for.

And it has been authentically established on the authority of ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbaas (رضي الله عنه) that he said: 

إذا كان لك ذو قرابة محتاجون لا تعولهم فضع زكاتك فيهم

“If you have any close relatives that you are not responsible over who are needy then give them your Zakat”

Reported by ibn Zanjawayh in “Al-Amwal” (2150) with an authentic chain of transmission.

فتاوى فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن حزام الفضلي البعداني حفظه الله وتولاه