How it is calculated
- Gold is converted to pure gold: pure = grams × karat ÷ 24 so 100 g of 21k is 87.5 g pure.
- Gold nisab: 85 g of pure gold (twenty mithqal).
- Silver nisab: 595 g of pure silver (two hundred dirhams).
- If nisab is reached and a lunar year passes, zakat is 2.5% of the value (or weight).
Zakat on worn jewellery
Scholars differ: the majority (Maliki, Shafi’i, Hanbali) exempt permissible jewellery in normal use, while the Hanafis require zakat on it. Savings gold, bullion and trade stock are zakatable by consensus.
Worked example
A woman holds 120 g of 21k gold as savings, with pure gold at 1,000 per gram: pure = 120 × 21 ÷ 24 = 105 g (above nisab), worth 105,000. Zakat = 2,625, or 2.625 g of pure gold.
Frequently asked questions
Buy price or sell price?
Use market value on the day zakat is due — ideally the jeweller’s buying price (what you would get if you sold).
Is gold combined with silver to reach nisab?
Hanafis and Malikis combine them; the Shafi’i and Hanbali schools generally do not. For all your wealth use the comprehensive calculator.
Do stones and workmanship count?
No — zakat is on the pure gold or silver weight only, excluding gems and making charges (except trade stock, valued in full).
Can I pay gold zakat in cash?
Yes, according to most contemporary scholars, at its value on the day you pay.