How to Pay Zakat on Jewelry When not Enough Money is Available?

Answered by Shaykh Ilyas Patel
Question: As salamau alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
My wife has jewelry. We need to pay zakat on this. 
However, I’d like to know how she is actually to pay the value of this (2.5%) if she doesn’t have any money? She does have some money saved up but it’s been less than a year although she has had the gold for over one year. 
Also, I would like to know if I as her husband can (or indeed must) pay the zakat value of her gold?
Answer: In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
I pray you are well and in good health.
Zakat will be obligatory on her so she can utilise some of the money – she has saved as you have mentioned – to give the zakat. And for the remaining she can do the following:
– sell some part of the jewellery to pay the zakat
– give an item of jewellery itself to the poor
– her husband can give the money to her and then she can use it to give her zakat
I hope this clears the issue.
And Allah knows best
Ilyas Patel