Ash-Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-Uthaymeen, rahimahullah, mentioned that the majority of the scholars hold that money for separate owners are to be calculated separately for Zakaat, even if they are joined together. The exception has only come concerning wealth of livestock that are joined together upon separate owners. [See: Sharh Bulughul Maraam (3/ 21), print al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah]
Therefore, the origin is that each person considers their wealth separate when calculating the Zakaat. However, what is permissible in this case is for the wife to delegate her husband to calculate her Zakaat and pay it on her behalf.
Ash-Shaykh Bin Baz, rahimahullah, was asked the following question:
Question:
هل يجوز أن يخرج زوجي عني زكاة مالي، علمًا أنه هو الذي أعطاني المال
“Is it permissible for my husband to pay Zakaat on my behalf, bearing in mind that he was the one who gave me the wealth [initially]?”
الزكاة واجبة عليكِ في مالكِ إذا كان عندكِ نصاب أو أكثر من الذهب أو الفضة أو غيرهما من أموال الزكاة، وإذا أخرجها عنكِ زوجكِ بإذنكِ فلا بأس، وهكذا لو أخرجها عنك أبوكِ أو أخوكِ أو غيرهما بإذنكِ فلا بأس
Answer:
“Zakaat is obligatory upon you concerning your own wealth if you possess the nisaab or more [from the required amount for Zakaat] of gold, silver, or other than it from the wealth of Zakaat. If your husband pays it [i.e. Zakaat] on your behalf with your permission, then there is no harm in that. Likewise if your father, your brother or other than them pay Zakaat on your behalf upon your consent, then there is no harm in that”. End. [Reference]
Ash-Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-Uthaymeen, rahimahullah, was asked the following question:
إذا كانت زوجة وبناتها ، ومعهن حلي ، ولكن حلي كل واحدة منهن لا يبلغ النصاب ، فهل يجمع كله ويدفع زكاته ؟
Question:
“If the wife and daughters have jewelry from gold but the jewelry for each one of them doesn’t meet the nisaab, should the jewelry be combined together and Zakaat be paid for that?”
… لا يجب ؛ لأن مال كل إنسان يخصه ، إلا إذا كان الحلي الذي على البنات ملكا للأم أعطته البنات على سبيل العارية ، فإنه يضم إلى حلي المرأة . وأما إذا كان الحلي الذي على البنات لهن ، فإن مال كل واحد يخصه ، ولا يكمل نصاب مال إنسان بمال إنسان آخر
Answer:
“No it is not obligated to do so since each person’s wealth is specific to him/her except if the jewelry that are upon the daughters are owned by the mother such that they were lent to them. In this case their jewelry would be combined to the wife’s jewelry [when calculating the Zakaat]. As for if the jewelry is owned by the daughters themselves, then in this case each person’s wealth is specific to him/her and the wealth of others shouldn’t be combined together to meet the required amount for Zakaat.” End. [Fatawa on Zakaat and Fasting – Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-Uthaymeen, pg 90, print Dar at-Thuraya Li-nashr]
Ash-Shaykh Bin Baz, rahimahullah, said:
فإن الزكاة تكون على ذهب الزوجة وحدها وعلى ذهب البنت وحدها إذا بلغ النصاب، كل عليه زكاته،
“[…] The Zakaat for the gold of the wife should be considered separate on its own. Likewise the gold of the daughters should be considered separate on its own if it meets the nisab. Each person has to pay Zakaat separately”. End. [Reference]
Translated by
AbdulFattaah Bin Uthman
Abu Fajr
