What is zakat?
In Arabic, zakat means purification and growth; in Islamic law it is a set obligation on certain kinds of wealth, paid to specific recipients. The Quran often pairs it with prayer, and scholars regard it as the backbone of social solidarity.
Zakat differs from voluntary charity (sadaqa): zakat is obligatory under set conditions, while sadaqa is encouraged at any time and in any amount.
Conditions for zakat to be due
- Being Muslim, free, and owning the wealth outright.
- Reaching the nisab: the value of 85 grams of pure gold, which most contemporary rulings use for cash, or 595 grams of silver.
- Passing of the hawl: one full lunar year of owning the nisab.
- Being free of due debts that would reduce your wealth below the nisab.
Scholars differ on whether to measure the nisab by gold or by silver. Silver gives a lower threshold today, so many scholars favour it as the safer choice for the poor. Our calculator uses gold by default and lets you change the price.
What wealth is zakat paid on?
| Type of wealth | In short |
|---|---|
| Cash and bank balances | 2.5% on the balance that reached the nisab and was held a year. |
| Gold and silver | Due on gold and silver kept as savings. Jewellery worn for personal use is a matter of difference between schools. |
| Trade goods | Stock is valued at market price at year end and zakat is paid on it with the profits. |
| Shares and funds | Held for trading: zakat on market value. Long-term investments have different contemporary opinions, so ask a scholar. |
| Cryptocurrencies | Many contemporary scholars treat them like trade goods when held as an investment; this is an area of ijtihad. |
| Debts owed to you | Collectable debts are included; doubtful ones are zakatable when received. |
| Your home, car and furniture | No zakat on what you use personally. |
Who can receive zakat?
۞ إِنَّمَا ٱلصَّدَقَٰتُ لِلۡفُقَرَآءِ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱلۡعَٰمِلِينَ عَلَيۡهَا وَٱلۡمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمۡ وَفِي ٱلرِّقَابِ وَٱلۡغَٰرِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبۡنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِۖ فَرِيضَةٗ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٞВоистину, [предписанные] пожертвования — лишь для бедных и нищих, для занимающихся [их сбором и распределением], для тех, чьи сердца следует расположить, для освобождения рабов, для должников, на пути Аллаха и для путника — как обязанность от Аллаха. Аллах — знающий, мудрый.
These eight categories are the only recipients of zakat. It is not given to those you are obliged to support, such as your parents and children, nor to people who are not in need.
When and how to pay
- Choose a fixed date in the lunar year; many people pay in Ramadan for its reward.
- Total what you own on that day and subtract debts that are due.
- If the result reaches the nisab, pay 2.5% of it.
- Give it to eligible recipients yourself or through a trusted organisation, with the intention that it is zakat.
Paying early, before the year is complete, is permitted; delaying without excuse is not. It is simplest to pay in your local currency.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting zakat on savings accounts or stored gold.
- Deducting a whole long-term loan instead of only the instalments currently due (scholars differ, so ask).
- Counting by the solar year instead of the lunar year.
- Giving to organisations without checking that funds reach eligible recipients.
Try the calculator: enter your savings and the gold price to see your approximate zakat. It is an estimate and does not replace asking a scholar.
Частые вопросы
Is zakat due on a salary?
Most scholars hold there is no zakat on the salary itself when received, but the portion you save that reaches the nisab and is held for a year is subject to zakat.
Is zakat due on gold jewellery women wear?
Scholars differ: Hanafis require it, while most Maliki, Shafi‘i and Hanbali scholars do not for permissible jewellery in use. Ask your local mufti.
Can I give zakat to my relatives?
Yes, to needy relatives you are not obliged to support — it counts as both charity and kinship. Not to your parents or children.
What is the difference between zakat on wealth and zakat al-Fitr?
Zakat on wealth is annual at 2.5%; zakat al-Fitr is a fixed amount per person paid before the Eid al-Fitr prayer.
Коран: QuranEnc. Переводы хадисов: HadeethEnc. Источник указан у каждого пункта. Нашли ошибку? Сообщите нам.