Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

assalaam alaikum

i am a widow and i have two small childrens.i don`t have any particular source of income other than my father who give me some amount of money every month.

my question is

(1)do i have to pay zakaat for the gold i have?

(2)i wanted to do a job,but for every job, removal of face cover is a must.so do islaam permits me in this circumstances to do a job without face cover and only with a scarf covering my hairs?

allahafez 

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Answer:

Zakaah and nisaab

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

In principle, zakah is to be paid every year on the excess wealth of every believer after it has been in their possession for a period of one calendar year.

Your Question-1: do i have to pay zakaat for the gold i have?

If the total nett worth of any believer is more than the prescribed ‘nisaab’ of 7.5 tolas of gold (app. 85 grams or app. Value US$1,000.00), then the person is liable to pay the obligatory zakat of 2.5% on their excess wealth which has been in her possession for a full calendar year.

If your total nett worth is less than the prescribed ‘nisaab’, then you do not have to pay any ‘zakaah’ on your wealth; but if your nett worth is more than the prescribed ‘nisaab’, then indeed you would have to pay the ‘zakaah’ on the gold that has been in your possession for a period of one calendar year.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 1558 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As

A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) and she was accompanied by her daughter who wore two heavy gold bangles in her hands. He (saws) said to her: ‘Do you pay zakat on them?’ She said: ‘No.’ He (saws) then said: ‘Are you pleased that Allah may put two bangles of fire on your hands?’ Thereupon she took them off and placed them before the Prophet (saws) saying: ‘They are for Allah and His Messenger (saws).’

Your Question-2: i wanted to do a job,but for every job, removal of face cover is a must.so do islaam permits me in this circumstances to do a job without face cover and only with a scarf covering my hairs?
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Al Ahzaab verse 59:

O Prophet! Tell your wives and daughters, and the women of the believers, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons. It is expected that they will be recognized and that they will not be molested. And Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 24 Surah An-Noor verse 31:

And O Prophet, enjoin the believing women to restrain their gaze and guard their private parts and not to display their ‘zeenata hunna’ (beauty, adornment, etc.) except that which is displayed of itself , and to draw their veils over their bosoms and not to display their ‘zeenata hunna’ (beauty, adornment, etc.) except before their husbands, their fathers, the fathers of their husbands, their sons and the sons of their husbands, their brothers, their brothers sons, their sisters’ sons, their female associates, and those in their possession and male attendants incapable of sexual desire, and those boys who have not yet attained knowledge of sexual matters. Also forbid them to stamp their feet on the ground lest their hidden ornaments should be displayed.

There are two opinions amongst the scholars in Islam as to what does the phrase ‘except that which is displayed of itself’ mean. One opinion is that it means the face and the hands may be left uncovered, and the other opinion is that the face also has to be covered, and only the hands may be left uncovered.

The most accepted opinion is that if the women covers everything except her face and her hands, she would be following the command of Allah; and if she chooses to cover her face, then it will be purer and closest to the command of Allah. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

Thus in your particular case, if your job allows you to cover your hair and your body completely (except your face and hands), you would be well within the limits of the ‘hijaab’ prescribed by Allah, and there is absolutely no harm if you seek a job to support yourself and your family.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan