Praise be to Allah. Today, I want to talk to you about a topic that many people overlook despite its importance: the Zakat on gold.

I was reflecting on this subject, especially when you have gold savings or even jewelry. Many ask: Is there Zakat on it? How do I calculate it? The truth is that Zakat is an obligation from the pillars of Islam, and gold is one of the most important types of wealth subject to Zakat.

The main point you need to know: If you have gold that reaches the legal Nisab (which is 85 grams of pure 24-karat gold), and a full lunar year has passed on it, then Zakat becomes obligatory on you at a rate of 2.5% of its value.

But here, the topic becomes more detailed when we talk about different purity levels. For example, if your gold is 21-karat (which is the most common in the market), the Nisab is approximately 97 grams. Why? Because 21-karat gold has a purity of only 87.5% of pure gold, whereas 24-karat gold is 100% pure.

The method to calculate Zakat on 21-karat gold is very simple: take the total weight, multiply it by the purity percentage (0.875), then multiply that by the current price per gram, and from the result, calculate 2.5%.

A practical example: if you have 100 grams of 21-karat gold, and the current price per gram is 400 riyals, then the pure gold weight = 100 × 0.875 = 87.5 grams, which is worth 35,000 riyals. The Zakat = 35,000 × 2.5% = 875 riyals.

The topic is not limited to jewelry and bars only. Even if you have gold investments like gold exchange-traded funds or shares of mining companies, Zakat is due on them too.

The second important point: the difference between trade gold and jewelry gold. If you buy gold with the intention of saving or investing, Zakat is obligatory on it. But if you are a woman wearing jewelry for daily adornment, there is a difference among scholars on this point, but it is safer to pay Zakat.

Most importantly, Zakat is not just a financial obligation; it is an act of worship that purifies wealth and the soul, and promotes social solidarity among Muslims. The Prophet, peace be upon him, strongly warned against neglecting to pay it.

Finally, if you are unsure about any matter related to calculating Zakat, I advise you to consult a specialist or ask on trusted platforms. Zakat is an amanah from Allah, and what matters most is that we pay it with sincere intention and accurate calculation.