Zakat Calculator
Zakat is the third pillar of Islam and denotes the amount of wealth a Muslim must pay to certain groups of underprivileged people.
Zakat itself is neither a tax nor a charity but is a compulsory act of worship stipulated by Allah (swt). Zakat is intended to purify our wealth, not only physically, but also spiritually. It purifies our heart against selfishness as well as ensuring that society’s poorest are protected against hunger and destitution.
Muslims past the age of puberty and are of sound mind are eligible to pay Zakat as long as they meet the required Nisab threshold.
In order to be eligible to pay Zakat, your level of excess wealth must remain higher than the Nisab value for a full year. This is when your Zakat payment will be due.
The Nisab - the minimum value of wealth one must possess for Zakat to become payable - is defined as:
87.48g of gold
612.36g silver
You can base your Nisab on either the gold or silver amount. This is usually the equivalent value in your local currency. Most scholars favour the lower value (silver at present) as it means that more people can pay Zakat and therefore more people can benefit.
Zakat is due a year after your level of personal wealth has reached the Nisab threshold. In order to remain eligible to pay Zakat, your level of excess wealth should remain higher than the Nisab for a full lunar year.
For example, if your level of expendable wealth exceeds the total Nisab value in the month of Ramadan, your payment will not be due until the following Ramadan, so long as your personal wealth remains above the threshold.
If at any time your wealth drops below the level of Nisab, you would cease being eligible to give Zakat. Once your wealth increases to the Nisab level, you would begin counting 12 lunar months from that point onwards.
If you have not paid Zakat from previous years in which you were eligible to do so, you must pay what you owe as soon as possible.
Missed Zakat would be calculated in the same way you calculate your current Zakat - however, you would use the Nisab value from the missed Zakat year, as opposed to the current Nisab value.
What is Zakat
Impact of Your Zakat Donation
The Holy Qur’an determined who is eligible to receive Zakat, stating:
“As-Sadaqat (Zakat) are only for the Fuqara’ (poor), and Al-Masakin (the needy) and those employed to collect (Zakat funds); and for to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam); and to free the captives; and for those in debt; and for Allah’s Cause (i.e. for Mujahidun – those fighting in the holy wars), and for the wayfarer (a traveller who is cut off from everything); a duty imposed by Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.” – Chapter at-Tawbah Tevbe, 60
This means that Zakat donations cannot be given to just anyone. A husband cannot give his Zakat to his wife as he is already responsible for her, just as he is his children. A wife, though, is permitted to give Zakat to her husband, so long as he meets the relevant criteria – she must not benefit in any way from this donation (i.e. the husband using the funds to pay for a gift for his wife).
Those eligible to receive Zakat can be placed into one of eight categories, which are:
When Should I Pay Zakat?
You should pay your Zakat when your wealth has exceeded the Nisab threshold for one full Islamic year from the point your wealth first exceeded the threshold. The amount of Zakat you owe should be calculated on the day you make your payment. This means that regardless of by how much your wealth was above the Nisab threshold during the year, it is how your wealth stands at that moment from which your Zakat is calculated.
The holy month of Ramadan is the most popular time of year for Muslims to pay their Zakat as it is believed that donating during this time yields multiplied rewards and blessings. You can, though, pay Zakat any time during the year if your wealth has exceeded the Nisab threshold for a lunar year. This should also not be confused with Zakat al Fitr, or Fitrana, which must be paid during the month of Ramadan before the Eid prayers.
