Zakaat

Paying Zakaat in gold

Q: Can zakat be paid off in gold? Instead of selling some of the jewellery to pay zakat can we distribute some of the gold as zakat? For example we have to pay Rs, 52,000 in zakat, so we distribute 4 gold bangles equalling 1 tola of gold which would equal Rs.52,000 (assuming market rate is 1 tola=52,000.). Is this okay? Or do we have to sell the 4 gold bangles then pay the zakat in cash?

Not knowing one's zakaat date

Q: A person doesn't know which date his "haul"-date for paying zakat is, and he must thus choose any date of the year. Which date is the ideal to chose? Am I reasoning correctly by choosing the 27th of Ramadhaan, due to the high probability of lailatul-qadr falling on that day, hoping to multiply my reward for giving zakat on this particular day?