Zakat on Cash Kept at Home

Short answer: Yes, zakat is due on cash kept at home if it reaches the nisab (minimum threshold) and a lunar year passes. Hoarding cash without paying zakat carries a severe warning of punishment. Details: Zakat is obligatory on cash (gold and silver) based on Sahih hadith. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "If any owner of gold or silver does not pay what is due on him, when the Day of Resurrection would come, plates of fire would be beaten out for him..." (Sahih Muslim 987a). This includes cash at home, as cash represents gold and silver currency. The nisab for silver is 5 uqiyas (approx. 595 g silver) or its equivalent in cash, and for gold it is 20 mithqal (approx. 85 g gold). Once the cash reaches this value and one lunar year passes, 2.5% must be given as zakat. Hoarding wealth without paying zakat is condemned. The Prophet (ﷺ) warned that those who amass gold and silver and do not spend it in Allah's way (i.e., pay zakat) will be tormented with heated plates on the Day of Judgment (Sahih al-Bukhari 1402, Sahih Muslim 992a). This applies even if the cash is kept at home—it is not a shelter from zakat obligation. Evidence: 1. Sahih Muslim 987a — Severe punishment for not paying zakat on gold and silver. 2. Sahih al-Bukhari 1402 — Hoarding gold and silver without paying zakat leads to punishment. 3. Sahih al-Bukhari 1405 — No zakat on less than 5 uqiyas of silver (nisab). 4. Sahih al-Bukhari 1454 — Detailed zakat obligations on silver and gold. 5. Sahih Muslim 992a — Warning to those who amass wealth without paying zakat. 6. Sahih al-Bukhari 1468 — Refusal to pay zakat is a serious matter. Please consult a knowledgeable scholar for complex cases, such as calculating nisab for mixed assets or debt.