Maintaining the Nisab Requirement in an Era of Gold Price Fluctuations

When gold prices rise significantly, discussions about the zakat nisab usually resurface. This is due to the fact that the nisab for zakat on assets has historically been based on 85 grams of gold. The increase in gold prices directly increases the minimum threshold for zakatable assets. In practice, this situation can lead some people who were previously obligated to pay zakat to no longer meet the nisab requirement, even if they are still financially well-off. This situation raises the question of whether the nisab requirement remains relevant in a constantly changing economic context.

From a legal perspective, the obligation to pay zakat on gold and silver is already stated in the Quran, Surah At-Taubah, Verse 34: "...And those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of Allah, warn them of a painful punishment." (QS. At-Taubah: 34)

This is because Islam views gold and silver as assets with the potential to grow, like livestock. The obligation to pay zakat on gold and silver is also based on several other hadiths, one of which is narrated by Abu Dawud (may Allah have mercy on him): "If you have 200 dirhams of silver and it has reached one year, then zakat of 5 dirhams is obligatory. As for gold, you are not obligated to pay zakat unless it reaches 20 dinars, in which case zakat of half a dinar is obligatory. Zakat on any excess is obligatory according to its percentage." (Narrated by Abu Dawud)

Therefore, the majority of scholars position the nisab as part of the provisions of worship that have legal stability, so they cannot be changed simply due to changes in economic conditions. Within this framework, the nisab is positioned as a form of legal certainty that maintains the consistency of zakat implementation over time. However, when these provisions are confronted with the realities of the modern economy, more complex problems arise. The current price of gold is highly volatile and influenced by many global factors, while people's incomes do not always fluctuate in tandem. In this context, the nisab, besides being a fiqh (Islamic) limit, also has concrete economic implications. An increase in the nisab can result in a reduction in the number of muzakki (payers of zakat), which ultimately impacts the potential for zakat collection. On the other hand, the mustahik (mustahik) still need support, which tends to increase in unstable economic situations.

In the context of global economic developments, gold is no longer simply viewed as a commodity but also as a hedging instrument that is highly sought after during times of uncertainty. The increased interest in gold as a safe haven has contributed to significant price increases in several periods. This indirectly affects the nisab value of zakat, as the standard used remains based on gold. This means that the changes are not only technical but also influenced by the shifting function of gold in the global economic system.

On the other hand, the zakat regulatory framework in Indonesia actually provides flexibility in determining the gold standard. In Minister of Religious Affairs Regulation Number 52 of 2014 and its 2019 revision, there are no specific provisions specifying the gold karat as the reference for the nisab. This lack of a rigid stipulation leaves room for zakat management institutions to determine the most moderate and objective standard, while still considering the principle of prudence and relevance to economic conditions.

In this context, the National Zakat Agency has the freedom to make adjustments to technical aspects without having to change the basic principles of the nisab itself. Adjustments are more directed at how the standard is translated into practice, including determining the gold karat used as a reference to reflect more proportional conditions. This demonstrates that there is room for ijtihad in implementation, as long as it does not affect the fixed legal foundation.
At this point, it is important to distinguish between changing the nisab and adjusting the method of its application. Directly changing the nisab means shifting provisions based on texts, which cannot be done arbitrarily. Meanwhile, adjusting the method of application of the nisab still falls within the scope of ijtihad, as long as it remains based on the evidence and objectives of zakat itself. This second approach is actually the one most widely developed in contemporary practice.

Considering all these aspects, a more proportional position is that the nisab is fundamentally unchangeable. Its basis is clear in sharia and is part of the structure of zakat worship. However, because contemporary economic challenges cannot be ignored, adjustments are made to the approach to reading and interpreting zakat.

The determination of the nisab, including selecting the most relevant reference for certain types of assets, and how to ensure that zakat continues to achieve its primary purpose as an instrument for distributing welfare. This way, zakat remains within the framework of sharia law and has the capacity to respond more adaptively to changing times without losing its primary direction.