gold must be alloyed with another metal in order to strengthen and harden it; otherwise, it would be soft.

The scholars say that this addition is slight and subsidiary; it is like salt in food and does no harm.

His statement, “Zakah is due on gold once it reaches twenty mithqals, and on silver once it reaches two hundred dirhams: one-quarter of a tenth is due on both.”

The author—may Allah have mercy on him—regarded gold by weight and silver by number. The position of the school is that weight is the determining factor for both. Thus, if a person owns one hundred and forty mithqals of silver—equivalent to five hundred and ninety-five grams—zakah is due on it, whether or not it amounts to two hundred dirhams. They cited the Prophet’s statement—peace and blessings be upon him—“No zakah is due on less than five awaq of silver.” (1) Thus, he assessed silver by weight.

Shaykh al-Islam said that the determining factor is the number, based on the hadith of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—wrote in his instructions concerning zakah: “Concerning silver, once it reaches two hundred dirhams, one-quarter of a tenth is due. If it is only one hundred and ninety, no zakah is due unless its owner wishes to give it voluntarily.” (2)

The basis of his inference from this hadith is that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—specified the amount by number. In the time of the Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him—the dirhams were not uniform in weight; rather, some