GOLD. Arabic ẕahab (ذهب); Heb. זהב. The zakāt imposed upon gold is upon twenty mis̤qāls one-half mis̤qāl, and upon every four mis̤qāls in excess, one qīrāt̤, because the alms upon gold is one fortieth of the whole. This is due upon all gold, whether it be in coin or in ornaments. But ash-Shāfiʿī says it is not due upon the ornaments of women or the rings of men. (Hidāyah, vol. i. p. 27.)
The sale of gold is only lawful when it is exactly equal in point of weight, for Muḥammad said, “Sell gold for gold, from hand to hand, at an equal rate according to weight, for any inequality in point of weight is usury.” (Idem, vol. ii. 552.)
“It is not lawful for a man or woman to eat or drink out of gold or silver vessels.” (Idem, vol. vi. 86.)
GOLIATH. Arabic Jālūt (جالوت). The giant whom King David slew. Mentioned in the Qurʾān, [Sūrah ii. 251]: “And when they went forth to battle against Jālūt and his army, they said, ‘O Lord, give us patience, and strengthen our feet, and help us against the infidels!’ Therefore they discomfited them by the will of God, and David slew Jālūt.”
The commentators have not ventured to give any account of Jālūt.
GOMORRAH. Arabic G͟hamūrah (غمورة). Not mentioned by name in the Qurʾān; but Sadūm wa G͟hamūrah are understood to be the “overturned cities” referred to in [Sūrahs ix. 71], [lxix. 9].
GOOD WORKS. Arabic aṣ-Ṣāliḥāt (الـصـالحات). According to the teaching of the Qurʾān, good works without faith will not save from the torments of hell.
[Sūrah xviii. 103–5]: “Shall we tell you who are they that have lost their labour most; whose efforts in the present life have been mistaken, and who deemed that what they did was right? They are those who believed not in the signs of the Lord, or that they should ever meet Him. Vain, therefore, are their works; and no weight will we allow them on the day of Resurrection.”
Faith in the above is belief in the mission of Muḥammad: all Muslims being considered in a state of grace, no matter what their actions may be. With reference to the good deeds of Muslims, the following is the teaching of Muḥammad, as recorded in the Traditions (Mishkāt, book x. chap. iii.):—
“When a man is brought to Islām and he performs it well, God covers all his former sins, and he gets ten rewards for every good act, up to seven hundred, and even more than that, whereas the reward of misdeeds is as one to one, unless God passes that over likewise.”