- EN (English)
| Fatwa ID: | 76858 |
| Title: | I pawned my jewelry to pay off my debts: do I still have to pay zakat on it? |
| Category: | Poor-due or obligatory charity (Zakaah) |
| Scholar: | Dr. Main Khalid Al-Qudah |
| Date: | 11/15/2008 |
Assalam alaikum,
My question is: I have gold jewelry on which I pay zakat, but for the past three years, I've had to pawn my jewelry to get an interest-based loan to pay off our personal debts. So, pretty much, my jewelry has not been under my authority for six months each year, until I pay the loan and get it back. And we still have a lot of personal debt. Are we supposed to pay zakat on this jewelry?
Thank you.
The basic rule is that jewelry for personal use is not subject to Zakah, if it is within the average and does not reach levels of extravagance. However, if you would like to abide by the conservative approach in this regard and pay Zakah on it, that is absolutely preferable. But even according to that approach, you do not need to pay its Zakah if it has not been in your full possession.
