Zakat & Charity

Do I have to pay zakat on my gold and silver jewelry?

This is a classical controversy going back to the Companions. The majority (Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanbali — with some exceptions in each) hold that there is NO zakat on personal gold and silver jewelry used for decoration. Their key argument: personal-use items (clothing, house, personal transport) are exempt from zakat as a general principle, and jewelry is personal use. The Hanafi school and modern Salafi scholars (Ibn Baz, Ibn Uthaymin) hold that zakat IS due on gold and silver jewelry. Yasir Qadhi personally follows the Hanafi view for its caution, even while acknowledging the majority opinion has strong evidence.