Question Summary:
Is Zakat based on assets or income and is Zakat due if the combined value of gold and silver reaches nisab?

Question Detail:

 
Could you please clarify in the light of islam.
1. Suppose in a family husband and wife are there. When we have to give the Zakat, do we need to consider both income or asset?
2. Suppose the income husband has that is saving Nissab amount for the year. But the wife has the gold and Silver which has more than nissab amount, then who has to give Zakat Husband or Wife?
3. Suppose the husband is only doing income but after spending whole year, the husband does not have the Nissab amount. But the wife has some Gold and Silver. The Gold and Silver the wife has, that is not reaching to Nissab Amount. If both of the husband's saving and wife's asset it is reaching the Nissab amount. In that case husband would be responsible for Zakat?
4. A person has some gold and some silver but individually the price for Gold and Silver not reacging to Nissab amount but if combine the price of Gold and Silver, then that is more than the Nissab amount. WIll be then eligible for Zakat?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
1.) Zakat is based on one's individual wealth (assets on which Zakat is applicable after subtracting debts) on the day that person calculates his Zakat (the annual lunar date that Zakat became compulsory upon him). It is not based on one's income.
2.) Each person is considered on an individual basis. If the husband's wealth reaches the amount of nisab, and he has this wealth for one lunar year then Zakat is due on him. If the wife's wealth reaches the amount of nisab, and she has this wealth for one lunar year then Zakat is due on her.
3.) In this situation, neither the husband nor the wife will give Zakat because each person is individually looked at and neither one possesses the value of nisab.
4.) Yes, if the combined value of one's gold and silver reaches the amount of nisab (612.35 grams of silver) and one has this wealth for one lunar year, then Zakat will be due on the total amount. [i] [ii]
Sohail ibn Arif,
Student Darul Iftaa
Chicago, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
 
فتاوى عثماني ٢/ ٥٩ - ٦٠ مكتبة معارف القران كراتشي  [i]
ويضم الذهب إلى الفضة) عندنا للمجانسة من حيث الثمنية، فإذا كان ما هو أبعد في المجانسة علة وهو) [ii]
العروض فلأن يكون في الأقرب أولى. وقوله (ومن هذا الوجه صار سببا) أي من حيث الثمنية صار كل واحد من الذهب والفضة سببا لوجوب الزكاة، فكان هذا الوجه مشتركا بينهما فيوجب الضم
العناية شرح الهداية، ٢/ ٢٢٢