Who is responsible for Wife Zakat

Who is responsible for wife's Zakat

Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

KIndly Request you to PLease advice the below detailsMy Wife having some gold gifted from her Parent- now who is duty to pay zakath ? ( i have no rights for her gold.)

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Who is responsible for wifes Zakat

If the total net worth of any believer, regardless of whether that wealth belongs to a man, woman, or child, is more than the prescribed nisaab of 7.5 tolas of gold (app. 85 grams or app. Value US$1,000.00), then the person is liable to pay the obligatory zakah of 2.5% on their excess wealth which has been in her possession for a full calendar year.

If ones total net worth is less than the prescribed nisaab, then one does not have to pay any zakah on their wealth. Thus in principle, if the value of ones excess wealth (regardless of whether the wealth belongs to a man, woman or child) is above the prescribed nisaab, then it is absolutely obligatory that one purify their wealth by paying the annul zakah on their excess wealth after it has been in their possession for a period of one full calendar year.

The primary responsibility of paying the zakah lies on the person who actually owns the wealth, thus in this case it is the wife who herself is responsible for making sure that the zakah for her jewelry is paid every year.  The husband or the guardian of the woman who owns the wealth is not liable to pay for the zakah of the wealth of the believing woman.  But if the husband, or father, or brother, or son of the believing woman, of their own will, wish to fulfill the zakah for her, there is absolutely no harm.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 1558 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As

A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) and she was accompanied by her daughter who wore two heavy gold bangles in her hands. He (saws) said to her: Do you pay Zakat on them? She said: No. He (saws) then said: Are you pleased that Allah may put two bangles of fire on your hands? Thereupon she took them off and placed them before the Prophet (saws) saying: They are for Allah and His Messenger (saws) (to distribute to the poor as they will).

Regardless of whether the woman herself pays the zakah for the wealth she owns, or whether her father, or husband, or son, or guardian chooses to pay the zakah for the wealth owned by her..provided the annual zakah dues are paid on her excess wealth, the woman would have deemed to have fulfilled her obligatory duty of zakah unto her Lord Most High.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allahs Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.