Re: The real value of gold ..
There are varying opinions on whether you should pay zakat on the gold you own for personal use. Some say that you don’t pay zakat on it, some say the general opinion is that you do pay zakat on it. If the latter is more true, then there ARE people who are careless about their gold. They own a lot of it MashaAllah se, but they don’t pay zakat on it. Also, I have read that it is not farz or lazim upon the husband to pay zakat on his wife’s gold and therefore the owner of the gold (in this case the wife) is responsible for paying zakat on it provided she has more gold than the nisab amount. If her husband refuses and she cannot work, then she has to pay for it some way…she can opt to reduce the amount of gold so that she pays less or she can reduce it to the point that it falls under the nisab amount. The more that Allah has blessed a person, the more they will be held accountable for it and that’s the flip side of the barkat…so it’s not unreasonable for one to think about future consequences…as in if they can handle the yearly expense along with other expenses (home, family, etc). For some it may be easier than others. But I think the concern is a healthy one and shows that one is conscious of fulfilling this fardh. I don’t think it necessarily means that one has a chota dil or is stingy, etc.