Who needs to pay Zakat?

According to the Hanafi madhab, Zakat must be paid by Muslim adults who are mentally sane and in possession of an amount of wealth (net assets) above the nisab.The Shafi, Maliki and Hanbali madhabs are of the view that Zakat is also payable by children and the insane, as long as their wealth is above the nisab threshold.You first become eligible to pay Zakat the day your wealth reaches the nisab threshold. The Zakat is calculated and paid on the wealth of a person after a full lunar (Islamic) year. A lunar year is around 354 days long.

What is the Nisab and Hawl?

The nisab is the minimum amount of wealth a Muslim must possess before they become eligible to pay Zakat. This amount is often referred to as the nisab threshold.Gold and silver are the two values used to calculate the nisab threshold. The nisab is the value of 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver. You can find the current values on our website or at a jewellery store.In the Hanafi madhab, the value of silver is used to ascertain the nisab threshold and eligibility to pay Zakat. The other madhabs use the value of gold.Islamic Relief advises its donors to use the silver value (which is almost always a lower nisab threshold to gold) as this allows for a greater amount of your wealth to be eligible for Zakat which, in turn, means more help for the deserving recipients of your Zakat.In explanations of Zakat, you may hear the term hawl – which means a lunar year. A hawl (lunar year) is 354 days long. Sometimes it is simply referred to as an Islamic year.The actual payment of Zakat is to be made one hawl (lunar year) after you become eligible to pay Zakat, if your wealth on that date is still at – or above – the nisab threshold.

The moment you possess wealth above the nisab threshold you become eligible to pay Zakat. However, no payment is due on that date itself.The Zakat is to be paid after one full hawl– but only if your wealth at that future date is still above the nisab threshold.It does not matter if your wealth decreases or increases during the year. It is the value of your wealth / assets at the end of the lunar year that is used to calculate and pay the Zakat (if it still exceeds the nisab).

Who are the beneficiaries of Zakat?

The Holy Qur’an (9:60) specifies eight categories for the distribution of Zakat:The poorThe needyZakat administratorsThose whose hearts are to be reconciledThose in slaveryThe debt-riddenIn the way of AllahThe destitute travellerIslamic Relief distributes your Zakat amongst the needy and poor.

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can supply and install 300 litre water tanks for drinking water for seven families in Gaza

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Your Zakat is our Amanah

Islamic Relief spends your Zakat donations in the most effective way possible to relieve the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable people.

We spend the funds on the first category of Zakat – the poor and needy. We take the responsibility of delivering your donations very seriously. We know that we are accountable to you, to the people we serve, and, ultimately, to Allah.

Some of the reasons to trust Islamic Relief with your Zakat are:

Our work is scholar verified

An independent Zakat Advisory Board, made up of a group of respected scholars, has ratified our Zakat policy, and continues to provide advice to ensure our Zakat policy is Shari’ah-compliant.

Certified Quality Assurance

We are one of only five UK based charities with HQAI (The Humanitarian Quality Assurance Initiative ) accreditation. The HQAI are an independent and objective assurance body, which examines how we use your donations in detail every year, and makes sure they are being used as effectively as possible.

We are 100% transparent

We don’t say that we have a ‘100% donation policy’. The truth is, it costs every single charity money to deliver relief- and we think you’d prefer us to be real about it.

Find out more about reasons you can trust Islamic Relief with your donations here, as well as how we spend your donations.

Thank you for trusting Islamic Relief with your donations last year. We made sure to take extra care when delivering your Zakat to those eligible to receive it, in accordance with our Zakat Policy. We hope you will support our work again this year with your Zakat, which becomes our Amanah. Thank you.

Mohamed Hamza, Islamic Relief Syria Aid Worker.

What is Zakat?

Zakat (zakaat, zakah), or almsgiving, is one of the five pillars of Islam. This means that Zakat is mandatory for Muslims, along with the other four sacred pillars of prayer (salah), fasting (sawm), pilgrimage (Hajj) and belief in Allah and His Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) (shahadah). For every sane, adult Muslim who owns wealth over a certain amount – known as the Nisab – he or she must pay 2.5% of that wealth as Zakat.

…and those in whose wealth there is a recognised right, for the needy and deprived

Qur’an 70:24-5

Eligible Muslims pay Zakat once a year, and it is due as soon as one lunar (Islamic) year has passed since meeting or exceeding the Nisab (certain amount of wealth). The Zakat of every Muslim is then distributed to those who meet the criteria to receive it. At Islamic Relief, your Zakat is distributed with the utmost care to ensure that the most vulnerable, including children, those affected by war, disease and climate disasters, have access to the help that they need.

You can use our Zakat Calculator to find out if you’re eligible to pay Zakat.

Use our Zakat Calculator now

What is Nisab?

The Nisab is the minimum amount of wealth a Muslim must possess before they become liable to pay Zakat. This amount is often referred to as the Nisab threshold.

Gold and silver are the two values used to calculate the Nisab threshold. The Nisab is the value of 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver.

Current Nisab value (17 January 2024)

Using value of silver 612.36 grams = £356.79

Using value of gold 87.48 grams = £4,513.83

Zakat: A sacred pillar

Zakat is not just a fundamental pillar of Islam, it is also a revolutionary concept which can end extreme poverty – that is the power of Zakat!

And be steadfast in prayer and regular in charity: And whatever good you send forth for your souls before you, you shall find it with Allah.

Qur’an 2:110

It is also a right that the poor have over us.

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

Picture this: if just the ten richest people in the world paid Zakat – that would be a staggering £7.7 billion! The power of that money in tackling poverty would be huge.

When you give Zakat to Islamic Relief, your donation is used in the most effective way possible to relieve the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable people.

Donate Your Zakat: Your donations enable us to save lives

Your Zakat has funded some of our crucial work with people and communities living in disaster and war zones: drought and famine-struck countries across East Africa and communities affected by conflict in Syria. Your generosity has enabled communities to build sustainable livelihoods in the face of climate change, and enabled better lives for vulnerable orphans and families across the globe.

Alhamdulillah, you have the power to transform people’s lives.

Give your Zakat today!

What is Fitrana?

Fitrana is a donation often in the form of food that is given before Eid prayer, therefore it must be given before the end of Ramadan. Fitrana must be given by every self-supporting Muslim who has food in excess of their needs, on behalf of themselves and their dependants.

How much is Zakat?

Your Zakat donation should amount to 2.5% of your total zakatable wealth. Therefore, if your total assets (after any debts owed) amounted to £10,000, you would pay £250. Use our free and easy Zakat Calculator to calculate how much you owe.

Zakat FAQs

Please note that for any specific queries, it is advisable to contact your local imam. You can also call our office on 020 7593 3232.

During Ramadan, Islamic Relief has a scholar available to issue specific guidance.

Here’s a list of Frequently Asked Questions that you can use for further guidance:

General Zakat Questions

There are eight categories of people who are eligible to receive Zakat.

The poor
The needy
Administrators of Zakat
Those whose hearts have been recently reconciled
Those who have been enslaved
Those in debt
In the cause of God
Travellers (including refugees)

A poor person is someone whose property, in excess of his basic requirements, does not reach the nisab threshold. The recipient must not belong to your immediate family, therefore; your spouse, children, parents and grandparents cannot receive your zakat. Other relatives, however, can receive your zakat.

For every year that you owe Zakat, take 2.5% from the total wealth you had at the end of that year and pay that in Zakat. If you are not sure how much wealth you had, you must estimate it to the best of your ability. E.g. It is now Ramadan 2022. You have not paid Zakat for the last 5 years. You need to work out how much wealth you owned every Ramadan for the last 5 years and pay 2.5% of that.

Miscellaneous Questions

Miscellaneous Questions: Saving and Jewellery

Miscellaneous Questions: Debt

If the money is paid back, then it is liable for Zakat (provided the lender meet other criteria for paying Zakat). However, if the money is not paid back, then the intention for lending would need to be reviewed. If the lender was fairly sure that s/he was not going to receive it back and s/he is unable to refer it to a judiciary, then in such cases it is usually not payable. However, there are many variables and hence this question should be referred to a scholar.

Miscellaneous Questions: Business and Property

For the time that you were renting the house out and did not have the intention of selling, you do not pay Zakat on the house. But you would still have to pay it on the rent you earned just like any other wealth you have. You must include it in Zakatable assets from the day you made the intention to sell the house. You must also pay it on the selling price of the house. However, if you are paying in advance, you would need to estimate this. You would need to do the same for every year after that in which the house is still for sale. But to be absolutely clear, please discuss this with a scholar.

General Questions

You can also watch this YouTube video series where scholars answer FAQs.

We ensure our content is reviewed and verified by qualified scholars to provide you with the most accurate information. This webpage was last reviewed by Sheikh Saalim Al-Azhari.

Page last reviewed: 21 February 2023