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What is the ruling on zakat for worn gold that has not been zakatable for many years? Is it obligatory to make up for the zakat of past years, even if it is given outside the time of the hawl (one-year period)? Is it permissible to borrow money to pay zakat? Is it permissible to give it to relatives such as parents and siblings?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Many fatwas have been issued regarding zakat on jewelry. The questioner was not obliged to pay zakat for previous years because she acted upon the opinion of the majority of jurists, and the difference of opinion on this matter is strong. If she paid zakat, we ask Allah to accept it from her. According to the opinion that zakat is obligatory on jewelry, the default is to pay it from the very asset on which zakat is due, unless there is an overriding benefit that necessitates taking its value. Some scholars do not consider paying banknotes for gold or silver as a form of paying value, because banknotes are attached to gold and silver and are considered to be of the same kind.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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