What is Zakat?

Zakat (or Zakāh) is known to be one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Zakat is the Arabic word for "giving to charity" or "giving to people in need". Zakat is almsgiving, iusually collected by the Muslim Ummah. It is also considered in Islam a religious obligation, and by Quranic ranking, is next after prayer (salat) in importance. The Zakat definition encompasses the act of purifying one’s wealth by giving a portion of it to those in need, as prescribed by Islamic law. There are specific Zakat rules that determine who is eligible for Zakat and who qualifies for Zakat. These regulations ensure that the donation reaches deserving recipients, as outlined in the Qur'an. Zakat should not be confused with Zakat al-Fitr, a separate mandatory donation made ahead of Eid al-Fitr. 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)

Here at Urban 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.

When to Pay Zakat

Zakat is due after a full lunar year has passed, since reaching the Nisab threshold. There is no specific time frame for when to pay Zakat, though lots of Muslims choose to make their donation during Ramadan to gain extra blessings.

What is Nisab?

The nisab is the least amount of wealth a Muslim must have before they are obligated to pay zakat. This figure is commonly known as the nisab limit. Gold and silver are the two assets utilized to determine the nisab limit. The nisab equals the worth of 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver.