Zakāt.
The right of the poor.
الزكاة
2.5% of idle wealth, every lunar year, once the niṣāb is met — paid to eight categories set in the Qurʾān. A calculator grounded in the four classical madhāhib, with the source for every ruling. Not a fatwā — a starting point.
612.36g silver · 200 dirham · the lower threshold, obligating more to give.
87.48g gold · 20 mithqāl · the higher threshold.
Reviewed April 2026 · spot prices change daily — the calculator lets you override both below.
Calculate your zakāt.
Silver niṣāb benchmark (the position most protective of the poor). Leave fields empty if they don't apply.
The eight categories.
Set by revelation in Sūrah al-Tawbah, verse 60. Zakāt cannot go outside these eight, and all four madhāhib agree on this — see the classical ruling on paying zakāh.
Where the madhāhib differ.
On the pillar itself there is no disagreement. On the particulars — which benchmark, what deducts, what counts — the schools diverged, each with its proofs. This is the classical landscape at a glance.
| Topic | Ḥanafī | Mālikī | Shāfiʿī | Ḥanbalī |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niṣāb for cash Which metal benchmarks the threshold for money? | Silver (more protective of the poor; obligates more). | Either — whichever is more beneficial to the poor. | Silver is preferred for cash. | Either — silver is more protective. |
| Ḥawl (lunar year) Must wealth sit for one hijrī year? | Yes — on cash, trade, livestock. Not on crops. | Yes — on cash, trade, livestock. Not on crops or minerals. | Yes — except crops and livestock offspring, which follow the parent. | Yes — on cash, trade, livestock. Not on crops. |
| Women's worn gold jewelry Is jewelry in regular personal use zakatable? | Yes — zakāt is due annually on it. | No — if worn or kept for wearing, no zakāt. | No — if permissible in amount and use. | No — if within customary limits and worn. |
| Agricultural niṣāb Threshold on crops and fruits. | No niṣāb — ʿushr (10%) or nisf ʿushr (5%) on any amount. | Five awsuq (~653 kg of staples). | Five awsuq. | Five awsuq. |
| Deducting debts you owe Short-term debts subtracted from assets before calculating. | Yes — immediate, demandable debts deductible. | Yes — for cash and trade goods, not livestock or crops. | Yes — debts deductible before calculation. | Yes — debts deductible. |
| Combining gold and silver Can partial holdings be added together to reach niṣāb? | Yes — combine by value to reach niṣāb. | Yes — combine by value. | No — each metal assessed independently. | No — each metal independently. |
| Business fixed assets Buildings, machinery, vehicles used in operations. | Not zakatable — means of production. | Not zakatable — tools of trade exempt. | Not zakatable — only trade goods zakatable. | Not zakatable — operational assets exempt. |
Summary of mainstream positions within each school — individual scholars within a madhhab may differ. Consult a qualified imam for your case.
Where the classical tradition speaks.
Al-Ghazālī on the secrets of zakāt.
The book of Zakāh in al-Ghazālī's Iḥyāʾ moves beyond the mechanics — what the hand does when it gives, what the heart holds back, the test that the poor are to the rich and the rich to the poor.
Open al-Ghazālī →On the verse of the eight.
Ibn Kathīr's commentary on al-Tawbah 9:60 — every category defined by the early narrations, and the wisdom the classical mufassirūn saw in the exact sequence of the eight.
Open Ibn Kathīr →Al-Nawawī's chapters on giving.
The chapters on charity, on preferring others, on giving from what one loves — the ḥadīths al-Nawawī gathered to move the heart past the mere obligation.
Open al-Nawawī →The whole of charity.
Every passage in the library that touches ṣadaqah, zakāt, generosity, the rights of the poor — gathered on one page.
Open the topic →The questions you're asking.
What is Zakāt and who must pay it?
Zakāt is the third pillar of Islam — an obligatory annual almsgiving of 2.5% on the idle wealth of every adult, sane, free Muslim whose assets exceed the niṣāb and have been held for one lunar year (ḥawl). Allah pairs it with the prayer in the Qurʾān: "And establish prayer and give zakāt" (al-Baqarah 2:43).
How much Zakāt do I owe?
The rate on cash, gold, silver, and trade goods is 2.5% (one-fortieth of the wealth). For agricultural produce it is 10% if irrigated by rain and 5% if irrigated by effort. The rate on livestock scales on fixed schedules. This calculator handles the most common case — cash, precious metals, and trade inventory.
What is the niṣāb?
The niṣāb is the minimum wealth at which zakāt becomes obligatory. The classical thresholds are 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver. Silver is usually the more protective benchmark because it is a lower threshold — roughly $643 today — which obligates more people and benefits the poor. Gold today is roughly $6,823.
Do I pay Zakāt on gold jewelry I wear?
This is one of the famous disagreements. The Ḥanafī school obligates zakāt annually on womenʼs worn gold jewelry. The Mālikī, Shāfiʿī, and Ḥanbalī schools exempt it if it is within customary limits and used for adornment. Consult a scholar in your madhhab for your specific situation.
Can I deduct debts I owe before calculating Zakāt?
All four schools permit deducting immediate, demandable short-term debts from your zakatable assets before calculating. Long-term debts (a 30-year mortgage) are treated differently — most contemporary scholars do not allow deducting the full remaining balance, only the amount due within the current zakāt year. When in doubt, consult a qualified scholar.
Can I give Zakāt to my family?
You cannot give zakāt to those you are legally obliged to support — your parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, or spouse — because supporting them is already your duty from other wealth. You can give it to siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and in-laws if they qualify as fuqarāʾ or masākīn, and this is considered more virtuous than giving it to strangers (Ṣilat al-raḥim).
When must I pay my Zakāt?
Once one lunar (hijrī) year passes over wealth that has continuously met the niṣāb, zakāt is due. Many fix their zakāt-day to Ramaḍān to remember easily — but it is not tied to Ramaḍān in the sharīʿah. It becomes obligatory on whatever date your personal ḥawl completes each year.
What is the difference between Zakāt and Ṣadaqah?
Zakāt is the obligatory fixed portion (2.5% of wealth over niṣāb, one hijrī year old) restricted to the eight categories mentioned in Qurʾān 9:60. Ṣadaqah is voluntary, any amount, any time, any recipient — "the believer in the shade of his ṣadaqah on the Day of Judgment," as the Prophet ﷺ said. All zakāt is ṣadaqah, but not all ṣadaqah is zakāt.
How is Zakāt calculated for a business?
Business zakāt is 2.5% of the net liquid trading wealth. Include: cash and reserves, inventory and stock at wholesale value, raw materials, receivables you expect to collect, and short-term investments held for trade. Exclude: fixed assets used in operation — buildings, machinery, vehicles, computers, tools, goodwill. Deduct: accounts payable and short-term liabilities. If you are a partner, apply zakāt to your ownership share. The calculator above has a "For businesses" tab that walks you through this.
Is this calculator a fatwā?
No. This is an estimator to help you understand the classical framework. Your specific situation — business structure, retirement accounts, student debt, joint family wealth, multi-entity holdings — may require rulings from a qualified scholar in your madhhab or an Islamic-finance specialist. For anything beyond the simple cases, consult a trusted imam.
"Ṣadaqah does not decrease wealth, and Allah does not increase a servant in forgiveness except in honour, and no one humbles himself for Allah except that Allah raises him."