Q&A- The Nisaab for Zakah

These are two important questions related to zakah and they have been translated from the book "Selected Fiqh Issues" , It is authored by the Mujtahid Sheikh Abu Iyas Mahmoud Abdul Latif al-Uweida (May Allah protect him).

The book contains 321 issues in the form of questions and answers related to Salah (prayer), fasting, Zakah, Hajj, Umrah, economics, ruling, social relations and Jihad. The Sheikh has selected from the questions which he responded to between 1993 and 2007. The Sheikh has also given express permission to all those wishing to print, publish and distribute the book.

The book can be downloaded from:

He has also authored a book on the fiqh of fasting entitled, "Al-Jami’ Ahkam as-Siyam" and a book about the way to carry the da’wah, its obligations and characteristics. He has spent long years in the da’wah, he is an activist in the work for Khilafah and a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir. The Sheikh has spent time in prison in Jordan for his da'wah activities.
مسائل فقهية مختارة

The Sheikh is a respected scholar in Jordan, he has authored a very detailed book in Arabic upon the rules of Salah entitled "Al-Jami’ Ahkam as-Salah" which is over 500 pages long. It is published by Dar al-Wadah in Amman, Jordan.

هل تقوم النقود الورقية بنصاب الذهب ام الفضة

- من ملك نقودا ورقية وحال عليها الحول هل تقوم بنصاب الذهب ام بنصاب الفضة ?

الجواب :- من ملك نقودا ورقية فان كانت نائبة عن الذهب قومها بنصاب الذهب وان كانت نائبة عن الفضة قومها بنصاب الفضة وكذلك الاوراق النقدية الوثيقة .

اما الاوراق الالزامية التي ليست نائبة ولا وثيقة فانها تقدر باقل النصابين ذهبا كان او فضة لان الاوراق مادامت ليست نائبة ولا وثيقة فاذا بلغت قيمة اقل النصابين يعتبر ان صاحبها قد ملك نصابا لذلك تقوم باقل النصابين قيمة .

In today’s system fiat system The Measurement of the Nisab for zakah,is done by Gold or by Silver.? As we from ahadith that the Nisab for gold is 7.5 Tola and 52 tola if Silver. What do we take as the Basis for nisab , silver or gold?

Answer

Whoever holds paper money which is backed by gold then he goes ahead with his nisaab in gold as for the one who has paper money which is backed by silver, in this case he calculates his nisab based on the nisab of silver i.e 52 tola.

As for that currency which is not back by gold or by silver then it is calculated by the smaller of the nisabs from gold or silver since the paper currency backed by an asset, so the nisab would be calculated on the lesser of the two in value.

تأخير الزكاة بحجة عدم وجود نقود مع التاجر

- ان عدم وجود نقود مع الشخص لا يبيح له تأخير الزكاة فهو قادر ان يبيع العروض وان يدفع ثمنها حتى لو اشتراها الشخص ثم اعطى ثمنها الذي دفعه زكاة جاز ذلك لان اختلاف العقد ينفي موضوع الحيلة .

Question

Is it allowed to delay the zakah due to absence of hard cash in possession of a trader?

Answer:- the absence of currency/ cash with a man does not permit him to delay the zakah because he is capable of selling his goods even if his good is bought by a person whom he then gives his zakah to.