Do I Have to Pay Zakah on Gold Every Year?

The Muslims of the earlier and later generations are agreed that zakah must be paid each year on gold , silver and the like. 

Ibn Hazm said in Maratib al-Ijma', p. 38: “They are agreed that zakah must be paid repeatedly on all kinds of wealth at the end of each year, apart from crops and fruits, for which they are agreed that zakah must be paid only once.” 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah did not criticize this at all in his criticism of Maratib al-Ijma’. 

The evidence for this consensus is the practice of the ummah from the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) until the present day. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to send the zakah-collectors to the tribes and cities, and they did not differentiate between those who had paid their zakah the previous year and those who had not, rather they used to take the zakah that was due on all the “zakatable” wealth that people possessed. 

Ibn Sirin said: “The zakah-collector used to come and wherever he saw crops or camels or sheep he would take the zakah that was due on them.” (Al-Mudawwanah, 1/361) 

What the person said, that the zakah on gold does not have to be paid each year, is indicative of his ignorance. He has to be taught what is correct. 

The Muslim should not hasten to issue fatwas on the basis of what he thinks, rather he should refer to the sayings of the scholars and imams so that he can find out what scholarly consensus says and not deviate from it. 

And Allah knows best.