◈ Nisab of Gold and Silver for Zakah is Fixed by Shari‘ah ◈
✍ Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
Zakah is not obligatory on gold or silver unless the minimum threshold (Nisab) is met. For gold, the Nisab is 20 Dinars, and for silver, it is 200 Dirhams. Below this, no Zakah is due.
➊ Narrated by ‘Ali رضي الله عنه, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إذا كانت لك مائتا درهم وحال عليها الحول ففيها خمسة دراهم وليس عليك شيئ حتى يكون لك عشرون دينار أو حال عليها الحول ففيها نصف دينار فما زاد فبحساب ذلك
“When you possess two hundred (200) dirhams, and one year passes over them, five dirhams are due as Zakah. You are not obliged to pay anything until you possess twenty (20) dinars or one year passes over them. Then, half a dinar is due, and for anything in excess, Zakah is calculated accordingly (i.e., one-fortieth of the total, even if it's just a small excess).”
[Sahih: Abu Dawood 1391, Book of Zakah, Bab Zakat al-Sa'imah; also 1573]
➋ Narrated by Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri رضي الله عنه, the Prophet ﷺ said:
ليس فيما دون خمس أواق من الورق صدقة
“No Zakah is due on silver unless it reaches five Awāq (i.e., 200 dirhams).”
[Bukhari 1447, Muslim 979, Abu Dawood 1558, Tirmidhi 622, Nasai 5/17, Ibn Majah 1793, Muwatta 1/244, Ibn Abi Shaybah 3/117, Ahmad 3/6]
➌ Narrated by ‘Ali رضي الله عنه, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“I have exempted horses and slaves from Zakah. But pay one dirham for every forty (40) dirhams of silver. There is no Zakah on one hundred ninety-nine (199) dirhams,
فإذا بلغت مائتين ففيها خمسة دراهم
and when it reaches 200 dirhams, then five dirhams are due as Zakah.”
[Sahih: Abu Dawood 1392, 1574; Tirmidhi 620; Nasai 5/37; Ahmad 1/98; Darimi 1/383]
Since gold and silver are no longer used as currency, Zakah should be calculated based on their value in the prevailing currency (e.g., Rupees).
◈ One should evaluate all assets in either gold or silver standard—whichever is more beneficial to the poor—and then pay 2.5% (one-fortieth) of the total amount.
Combining gold and silver to complete the Nisab is not allowed.
One must reach Nisab in either gold or silver independently for Zakah to become due.
[Al-Muḥalla bil-Athār 4/184]
✍ Written by: Imran Ayyub Lahori
❀ Nisab of Gold: 20 Dinars
❀ Nisab of Silver: 200 Dirhams
Zakah is not obligatory on gold or silver unless the minimum threshold (Nisab) is met. For gold, the Nisab is 20 Dinars, and for silver, it is 200 Dirhams. Below this, no Zakah is due.
✿ Evidence from Hadith
➊ Narrated by ‘Ali رضي الله عنه, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إذا كانت لك مائتا درهم وحال عليها الحول ففيها خمسة دراهم وليس عليك شيئ حتى يكون لك عشرون دينار أو حال عليها الحول ففيها نصف دينار فما زاد فبحساب ذلك
“When you possess two hundred (200) dirhams, and one year passes over them, five dirhams are due as Zakah. You are not obliged to pay anything until you possess twenty (20) dinars or one year passes over them. Then, half a dinar is due, and for anything in excess, Zakah is calculated accordingly (i.e., one-fortieth of the total, even if it's just a small excess).”
[Sahih: Abu Dawood 1391, Book of Zakah, Bab Zakat al-Sa'imah; also 1573]
➋ Narrated by Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri رضي الله عنه, the Prophet ﷺ said:
ليس فيما دون خمس أواق من الورق صدقة
“No Zakah is due on silver unless it reaches five Awāq (i.e., 200 dirhams).”
[Bukhari 1447, Muslim 979, Abu Dawood 1558, Tirmidhi 622, Nasai 5/17, Ibn Majah 1793, Muwatta 1/244, Ibn Abi Shaybah 3/117, Ahmad 3/6]
➌ Narrated by ‘Ali رضي الله عنه, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“I have exempted horses and slaves from Zakah. But pay one dirham for every forty (40) dirhams of silver. There is no Zakah on one hundred ninety-nine (199) dirhams,
فإذا بلغت مائتين ففيها خمسة دراهم
and when it reaches 200 dirhams, then five dirhams are due as Zakah.”
[Sahih: Abu Dawood 1392, 1574; Tirmidhi 620; Nasai 5/37; Ahmad 1/98; Darimi 1/383]
✿ Scholarly Consensus
- Imam Shawkani: The obligation of Zakah on gold and silver and their prescribed Nisab is unanimously agreed upon.
[Nayl al-Awṭār 3/93–94] - Ibn Hajar: There is no disagreement regarding the 200 dirhams being the Nisab of silver, except for Ibn Ḥabīb al-Andalusi.
[Fath al-Bari 4/66–67]
✿ Contemporary Equivalents
- 20 Dinars = 7.5 Tola ≈ 105 grams of gold
- 200 Dirhams = 52.5 Tola ≈ 735 grams of silver
❀ Practical Application in the Modern Context
Since gold and silver are no longer used as currency, Zakah should be calculated based on their value in the prevailing currency (e.g., Rupees).
◈ One should evaluate all assets in either gold or silver standard—whichever is more beneficial to the poor—and then pay 2.5% (one-fortieth) of the total amount.
✿ Important Ruling
Combining gold and silver to complete the Nisab is not allowed.One must reach Nisab in either gold or silver independently for Zakah to become due.
[Al-Muḥalla bil-Athār 4/184]
