Zakaat

The obligation of zakaat

Q: I am a student dependant to my parents. According to the nisab of silver ($400) I am supposed to pay zakaat. And I didn't know this as I was told that nisab is $3000 (as per gold nisab). So should I pay zakaat? I had $500 saved up for about 2 years. Also I was also told that since I am not earning money and I am dependant and my parents do pay zakat, that I am not supposed to. Could you please elaborate?

Giving one's zakaat to a person who own less than nisaab

Q: A woman had some gold jewellery worth of giving zakat. She sold all her jewellery and started constructing a house for herself and her brother who also invested some percentage in the house and not even 50 percent is completed and she has ran out of money for house completion. Is she eligible for zakaat and can she utilize the money for construction?

Giving zakaat to one's driver

Q: My driver in Karachi is a healthy strong man, I pay him salary (about the same as other drivers of similar job get). However he has children and his salary is not enough. He needs money to maintain his motor cycle, to pay children fees. One thing that bothers me is that he is sending his children to a school which is cheapest in the area where he works but is expensive considering his class of people where he lives. Is it jaíz for me to help him with zekat after making sure his total assess are less than the "nisab"? The question arose because in a "waaz"of Helkiymul-ummet reHimehullah, he quotes mewlana Gangohi reHimehullah as saying it is Heram for healthy strong person to beg and it is not jaíz to give Sedeqeh to such persons.

Retirement fund

Q: Our company has taken out a Sharia Compliant Retirement Annuity for the staff. The company pays the full contribution and it is included as a benefit on our annual salary. Staff have a choice of also contributing extra to this RA , some contribute an extra 3% to 6% of their salary to the RA voluntarily. I do not contribute anything extra towards this. (from next year it is going to be compulsory for everyone to contribute extra from their salaries) The rules of the RA are , if I leave the company I can cash out the RA but will only receive 60% of its value because 40% will go as taxes. Or I can reinvest the whole amount. Please advise if I have to pay zakaat on the value of this RA?