Is It Necessary to Pay Zakat Separately on the Wealth of the Husband and Wife?

Yes, it is necessary to pay Zakat separately on the wealth of the husband and wife based on their shares.

If the wealth is jointly owned, each spouse must calculate Zakat on their share, provided it meets the Nisab (minimum amount liable for Zakat) and a full lunar year has passed.

The following points elaborate on the matter:

1. Individual Obligation:

The husband and wife are individually responsible for paying Zakat on their respective shares of wealth. It is not permissible for the husband to pay Zakat on his wife’s wealth without her consent.

2. Husband’s Responsibility:

The husband must assess his share of the jointly owned wealth. If his share meets the Nisab, either independently or by adding it to other assets he owns (such as tradable goods or savings), and a lunar year has passed, he must pay Zakat on it.

3. Wife’s Responsibility:

Similarly, the wife must assess her share of the wealth. If it reaches the Nisab, whether independently or by combining it with other assets, and a lunar year has elapsed, she is obliged to pay Zakat for it. She may choose to deputize her husband to handle the payment, but the obligation remains hers.

4. Independent Financial Liability:

Islam grants the wife independent financial responsibility. If she has wealth unknown to her husband that fulfills the conditions of Nisab of Zakat, she is still required to pay Zakat for it without needing to inform him.

5. Joint Payment Not Obligatory:

Spouses don't need to combine their Zakat payments. Each must fulfill their obligation individually, though they may guide or support each other in fulfilling this duty.

Zakat is a personal financial obligation, and each spouse must fulfill it separately based on their respective wealth. This ensures compliance with Islamic principles.

And Allah knows best!