Calculate your zakat
and give

What is Zakat?

Zakat is the obligatory charity in Islam and constitutes one of the five pillars of the faith. Each year, Muslims who meet certain wealth thresholds are obliged to give 2.5% of their eligible wealth to those who need it most.

The word Zakat literally means "purification" and "growth": your possessions are purified by giving away part of them, and sharing your wealth with others is central to the Islamic understanding of community and responsibility.

"And be steadfast in prayer and give Zakat: and whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will find it with Allah."

Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah 2:110

Two types of Zakat

What is the Nisab?

The Nisab is the minimum wealth threshold on which Zakat is due. If your total wealth does not reach the Nisab, you owe no Zakat that year.

There are two standards for the Nisab, derived from the prophetic traditions:

Many scholars recommend the silver threshold because it enables more people to pay Zakat and thus helps more people. Our calculator uses the silver Nisab with current market prices.

When are you liable for Zakat?

Zakat is obligatory when you meet all of the following six conditions:

1. You are a Muslim.
2. You are free (not enslaved). This is a historical condition that does not apply today.
3. You own wealth above the Nisab threshold.
4. You have full ownership of this wealth: it is freely at your disposal.
5. A full lunar year (Hawl) has passed since you reached the Nisab.
6. Your wealth has not fallen below the Nisab at any point during the year.

Children and people with a severe mental condition are not liable for Zakat. Zakat al-Fitr has no Hawl requirement and is paid annually at the end of Ramadan.

Who receives Zakat?

The Quran names eight categories of people entitled to Zakat (Surah At-Tawbah 9:60):

"...and in whose possessions there is a recognised right, for the needy and the poor."

Quran, Surah Al-Ma'arij 70:24-25

1. Al-Fuqara people living in extreme poverty
2. Al-Masakin people who have just enough but are nevertheless in need
3. Al-Amileen those charged with the collection and distribution of Zakat
4. Al-Muallafat Qulubuhum people who have recently embraced Islam or whose hearts are to be won over
5. Ar-Riqab historically: the freeing of slaves; today: liberation from modern forms of exploitation
6. Al-Gharimin people with unbearable debts that arose through no fault of their own
7. Fi Sabilillah those who strive in the cause of Allah, including Islamic charitable projects
8. Ibn as-Sabil travellers stranded far from home without means

Through Stichting Katre, your Zakat is used for people who fall under the first, second, sixth and eighth categories, including emergency relief, water projects and food aid.

How is Zakat calculated?

Zakat is calculated on your total eligible wealth, after deducting immediate debts. The rate is always 2.5%.

1. Add up all your Zakat-liable assets: savings, cash, gold and silver (market value), shares and business stock.
2. From this, subtract your immediate, payable debts: outstanding invoices, current loans insofar as the instalment falls due this year, and other immediate obligations.
3. Check whether the remaining amount exceeds the Nisab.
4. Calculate 2.5% of this amount. This is your Zakat.

Deductible debts

Not all debts are deductible in the Zakat calculation. There are two categories:

If in doubt about your specific situation, we recommend contacting an Islamic scholar.