Zakat

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21,300

Zakat-eligible individuals supported with essential aid including food, healthcare, and shelter.

6,700

Students and orphans funded through Zakat for education, books, and uniforms.

2,900

Recipients empowered through vocational training, tools, or business startup grants.

  • What is Zakat?
  • Sacred Obligation
  • Conditions
  • FAQs

What is Zakat?

Zakat (also spelled zakaat or zakah) is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, making it a fundamental obligation upon every Muslim. It refers to the mandatory charity that must be paid by every sane, adult Muslim who possesses wealth exceeding a certain threshold - known as the Nisab. The amount due is 2.5% of that wealth and must be given once every lunar year.

 

Once a full Islamic year has passed while owning wealth above the Nisab, the Zakat becomes due and must be distributed to those eligible to receive it.

 

“…and those in whose wealth there is a recognised right, for the needy and deprived.”
- Qur’an | 70:24-25

A Sacred Obligation and Social Solution

Beyond being a core Islamic duty, Zakat is a powerful tool for fighting poverty. When paid correctly, it redistributes wealth to those most in need and uplifts entire communities. It is a right that the poor have over the wealthy, as clearly stated in the Qur’an:

 

“Those in whose wealth there is a recognised right for the needy and the poor.”
- Qur’an 70:24-25

 

Consider this: if just the world’s ten wealthiest individuals paid 2.5% of their eligible wealth, that would generate an estimated £7.7 billion - a transformative sum for those living in poverty.

Conditions for Paying Zakat

  • Strengthening their ability to withstand recurring challenges like droughts and floods
    1
  • They must be of sound mind (Hanafi view).
    2
  • The person must own the Nisab for a full lunar year.
    3
  • The individual must be free, as slaves are not liable to pay Zakat.
    4

FAQs

The Nisab is the minimum amount of wealth a Muslim must possess before Zakat becomes obligatory. This threshold is calculated based on the value of gold or silver, and a person must have maintained this amount for one full lunar year to be liable to pay Zakat.

Zakat is 2.5% of your total Zakat-eligible assets - after deducting any immediate debts. For example, if you own £10,000 in savings, your Zakat would be £250.

  1. Zakat al-Mal: This refers to the Zakat on wealth and is the annual obligation of 2.5% on qualifying assets.
  2. Zakat al-Fitr (Fitrana): This is a charitable donation due before Eid al-Fitr, intended to purify one's fast and ensure that those in need can also enjoy the celebration.

Fitrana must be paid by every self-supporting Muslim who has food in excess of their needs, for themselves and their dependents. It is usually paid during Ramadan and must be given before Eid prayer.

Unlike Zakat al-Mal, the amount of Fitrana is fixed (e.g., £5 in the UK) and not based on income or savings. The head of the household is responsible for paying it on behalf of all dependents if they cannot pay it themselves.

  • Zakat is due once a full lunar year has passed since you reached the Nisab.
  • Zakat can be paid at any time during the year, but many Muslims choose Ramadan for its multiplied rewards.
  • Fitrana, on the other hand, must be paid within Ramadan and no later than before Eid prayer.

As one of Islam’s pillars, neglecting Zakat has serious consequences - both spiritual and social. The Qur’an and Hadith warn against withholding Zakat:

 

“Those who hoard up treasures of gold and silver and spend them not in the way of Allah; give them the news of a painful punishment, on the Day when that (wealth) will be heated in the Fire of Hell and with it will be branded their forehead, their sides, and their backs, (and it will be said to them:) ‘This is the treasure which you hoarded for yourselves. Now taste of what you used to hoard.’”
- Qur’an | 9:34-35

 

“Whoever is made wealthy by Allah and does not pay the Zakat of his wealth, then on the Day of Resurrection his wealth will be made like a bald-headed poisonous male snake with two black spots over the eyes. The snake will encircle his neck and bite his cheeks and say, ‘I am your wealth, I am your treasure.’”
- Hadith | Bukhari

Zakat is calculated on savings and wealth, not regular income. Assets include:

  • Cash and savings
  • Gold and silver
  • Business inventory

These must have remained above the Nisab for one lunar year.

"The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself carried out multiple Qurbani for himself and the Ummah."

There are eight categories of people eligible to receive Zakat:

  1. The poor
  2. The needy
  3. Zakat administrators
  4. Those whose hearts are to be reconciled
  5. People in bondage (those enslaved)
  6. Those in debt
  7. In the cause of Allah
  8. Stranded travellers (including refugees)
  • Non-Muslims are not eligible to receive Zakat.
  • Wealthy individuals who meet or exceed the Nisab threshold cannot receive Zakat.
  • Members of the Prophet Muhammad’s family (Ahlul Bayt – descendants of Banu Hashim and Banu Muttalib) are not permitted to receive Zakat or Sadaqah.

Yes, relatives can receive Zaka - except your immediate family:

  • You cannot give Zakat to your spouse, children, or parents (direct descendants or ascendants).
  • However, extended family members such as siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, or in-laws can receive it, especially if they meet the criteria of need.

 

Different schools of thought (e.g., Shafi’i and Maliki) may have variations in rulings.