Do Women Pay Zakat on Their Personal Gold Jewelry?
How to Understand the Hadiths and the Different Opinions
1. The Hadith About the Gold Bangles
This is one of the key hadiths used as evidence by the Hanafi school:
A woman came to the Prophet ﷺ with her daughter wearing two thick gold bangles.
He asked, “Do you pay zakat on these?”
She replied, “No.”
He said, “Would you like Allah to make you wear two bracelets of fire on the Day of Judgment?”
She immediately took them off and gave them to the Prophet, saying, “They are for Allah and His Messenger.”
This hadith clearly shows that the Prophet ﷺ expected zakat to be paid on gold jewelry, even if it was being worn. That’s why the Hanafi school says zakat must always be paid on gold and silver, even if the jewelry is for personal use.
2. The Hadith About No Zakat on Personal Items
Now here’s the other hadith, often quoted by the Maliki, Shafi‘i, and Hanbali schools:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“There is no zakat on an abd or a horse.”
This hadith is authentic and refers to items people used personally in that time — and not for business or trade. The point is: if you own something for personal use, you don’t have to pay zakat on it.
So scholars from these three schools said: this rule should also apply to jewelry that is actually worn, not stored away as wealth.
Many companions like Aisha and Ibn Umar were known not to pay zakat on women’s jewelry, and scholars used this to support the idea.
3. So How Do the Four Madhhabs (Schools) Rule?
Hanafi school:
Always pay zakat on gold and silver jewelry, even if you wear it every day. As long as it reaches the nisab (about 85 grams of gold), 2.5% is due each lunar year.
Maliki school:
No zakat on moderate, worn jewelry used personally. But if it’s excessive or stored as wealth, then zakat is due.
Shafi‘i school:
Similar to the Malikis. But if the jewelry is really being kept as savings, even if it’s on a child, then zakat should be paid. This is how they interpret the gold bangles hadith — that the jewelry wasn’t just for wearing, but was also an investment.
Hanbali school:
Zakat is only required on gold that’s kept for investment.
If the gold is extravagant or luxurious but not meant for investment — even if it’s just kept and not worn — you don’t have to pay zakat on it.
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Some scholars say that the “no zakat on belongings” report came later and abrogated (cancelled) the earlier ruling.
Conclusion:
Any large or excessive amount of gold that goes beyond what’s considered normal or acceptable in the culture or customs of the person’s community is subject to zakat.
But if the gold is within the usual customs and traditions of the people around them — and there’s no intention to sell it or use it as an investment — then no zakat is required.