Q: I am married for 5 months. My wife has gold jewellery given to her from her parents as well as jewellery given to her from my parents. Do I have to pay zakaat on this jewellery this year?
A: If the jewellery has been in her possession for 12 Islamic months then zakaat has to be paid on the gold jewellery. If she only received the jewellery since marriage, which as you state is five months ago then zakaat will become obligatory when 12 Islamic months have elapsed.
Your wife has to pay her own zakaat on the jewellery, not you. Yes, if she has no money of her own, she can ask you to pay her zakaat. The jewellery must be valued by a jeweller and two and a half percent of the total value will be the zakaat.
Mufti Siraj Desai