Is gold jewelry included in zakat?

It depends on your madhab. The Hanafi school considers all gold and silver jewelry zakatable regardless of personal use. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools exempt regularly worn personal jewelry but allow you to opt in if you prefer to pay. The Maliki school does not count personal jewelry as zakatable (settled position). The Ja'fari school excludes jewelry from zakat entirely — surplus wealth falls under khums instead. See our dedicated article on zakat on jewelry for full details.

Do I pay zakat on gold ETFs?

Gold ETFs (such as GLD or IAU) are generally treated as investments rather than physical gold for zakat purposes. Under Sunni schools, they fall under the investments category and the 1/3 zakatable ratio is applied (since ETFs hold a mix of gold and financial instruments, with fund-level overhead). Some scholars argue that physically-backed gold ETFs should be treated like physical gold. Consult your scholar for guidance specific to your situation.

What about gold stored in a safe deposit box?

Physical gold stored in a safe deposit box, vault, or at home is fully zakatable across all madhabs (subject to nisab and hawl). The location of storage does not affect the zakat obligation. Whether the gold is in your hand, in a bank vault, or in a safe at home, it is counted the same way. Under Ja'fari law, the gold must independently meet the 69.12g nisab threshold.

Zakat on Gold and Silver: Rules by Madhab

Gold and silver are among the original categories of wealth on which zakat was prescribed. Across all madhabs, physical gold and silver above the nisab threshold are subject to 2.5% zakat. However, the Ja'fari school applies a per-category nisab check: gold and silver must each independently meet their own nisab threshold before zakat is due on that category.

The Sunni Approach: Combined Total

Under all four Sunni schools (Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanbali), the value of your gold and silver is added to your total zakatable wealth — alongside cash, investments, business inventory, and other assets. A single nisab check is performed on the combined total. If your total zakatable wealth exceeds the nisab threshold, 2.5% zakat is due on the entire amount, including the gold and silver portion.

This means that even a small amount of gold — say, 10 grams — contributes to your total. If the rest of your wealth pushes you above nisab, that 10 grams of gold is included in your zakat calculation.

The Ja'fari Approach: Per-Category Nisab

The Ja'fari (Shia) school takes a fundamentally different approach. Zakat on gold and silver is assessed independently. Each category must meet its own nisab threshold before zakat becomes due on that category:

Gold nisab: 69.12 grams (20 dinar shar'i × 3.456g)
Silver nisab: 483.84 grams (200 dirham shar'i × 2.4192g)

If you own gold below 69.12 grams, no zakat is due on your gold under Ja'fari law — even if you have substantial wealth in other categories. Similarly, silver must independently reach 483.84 grams. Furthermore, if there are debts to deduct, they are distributed proportionally across the categories.

Nisab Thresholds Compared

Metal	Sunni Nisab	Ja'fari Nisab	Nisab Check
Gold	85 grams	69.12 grams	Sunni: combined with all assets. Ja'fari: gold checked independently.
Silver	595 grams	483.84 grams	Sunni: combined with all assets. Ja'fari: silver checked independently.

Example: Per-Category vs Combined Check

Suppose you own 50 grams of gold (worth about $3,250 at $65/gram) and have $20,000 in cash savings.

Under Sunni Schools

Your total zakatable wealth = $3,250 (gold) + $20,000 (cash) = $23,250. This exceeds the nisab regardless of which standard is used. Zakat due: $23,250 × 2.5% = $581.25 (before any debt deductions, depending on madhab).

Under the Ja'fari School

Your 50 grams of gold is below the Ja'fari nisab of 69.12 grams. Therefore, no zakat is due on your gold. Your $20,000 in cash is not subject to zakat under Ja'fari law (cash falls under the khums obligation instead). The result: $0 zakat. However, you would owe khums (20%) on your annual surplus income, which is a separate calculation.

How Rafiq Handles This

When you select the Ja'fari madhab in Rafiq's zakat calculator, the engine automatically switches to per-category nisab checking. It evaluates your gold and silver holdings independently against their respective thresholds. If deductions apply, they are distributed proportionally across categories. The Sunni madhabs all use the combined approach where gold and silver values are pooled with your other assets.

Calculate Your Zakat Now →

Sources & Methodology

AAOIFI Shariah Standards on Zakat (SS No. 35) — gold and silver zakat categories
Al-Sistani, Tawdih al-Masa'il, Mas'alah 1863 — Ja'fari nisab weights (dinar shar'i = 3.456g, dirham shar'i = 2.4192g)
Rafiq calculation engine: calculateJafariZakat() with per-category nisab and proportional deduction distribution
Constants: NISAB_GOLD_GRAMS_SUNNI = 85, NISAB_SILVER_GRAMS_SUNNI = 595, NISAB_GOLD_GRAMS_JAFARI = 69.12, NISAB_SILVER_GRAMS_JAFARI = 483.84
Nisab thresholds calculated using live gold and silver spot prices

Content by: Rafiq Team

Last reviewed: February 2026

View full methodology · Scholarly sources

Rafiq is an educational calculation tool, not a religious authority or tax advisor. For questions about zakat on precious metals or complex holdings, consult a qualified Islamic scholar familiar with your madhab's rulings.