Zakāt (Arabic:
زكاة
[zæˈkæːt], "that which purifies"
),
or alms-giving is the practice of charitable giving by Muslims based on
accumulated wealth, and is obligatory for all who are able to do so. It
is considered to be a personal responsibility for Muslims to ease
economic hardship for others and eliminate inequality.
The Qur'an talks about the zakat in more than 29 different verses,
mainly in the Medinan suras. In the Qur'anic view, zakat is a way to
redistribute the wealth, thus increasing the flow of cash in the
economy with a particular interest in the poor and the dispossessed
Muslims. Zakat is considered more than taxation.
Verse (2:43)
43rd verse of chapter 2 (sūrat l-baqarah):
Sahih
International: And establish prayer and give zakah
and bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience].
Verse (2:83)
83rd verse of chapter 2 (sūrat
l-baqarah):
Sahih
International: And [recall] when We took the
covenant from the Children of Israel, [enjoining upon them], "Do not
worship except Allah ; and to parents do good and to relatives,
orphans, and the needy. And speak to people good [words] and establish
prayer and give zakah." Then you turned away, except a few of you, and
you were refusing.
Verse (2:110)
110th verse of chapter 2 (sūrat l-baqarah):
Sahih
International: And establish prayer and give zakah,
and whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it
with Allah. Indeed, Allah of what you do, is Seeing.
Verse (2:177)
177th verse of chapter 2 (sūrat
l-baqarah):
Sahih
International: Righteousness is not that you turn
your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is
[in] one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book,
and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to
relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help],
and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah;
[those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who]
are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the
ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.
Verse (2:277)
277th verse of chapter 2 (sūrat l-baqarah):
Sahih
International: Indeed, those who believe and do
righteous deeds and establish prayer and give zakah will have their
reward with their Lord, and there will be no fear concerning them, nor
will they grieve.
Verse (4:77)
77th verse of chapter 4 (sūrat
l-nisāa):
Sahih
International: Have you not seen those who were
told, "Restrain your hands [from fighting] and establish prayer and
give zakah"? But then when fighting was ordained for them, at once a
party of them feared men as they fear Allah or with [even] greater
fear. They said, "Our Lord, why have You decreed upon us fighting? If
only You had postponed [it for] us for a short time." Say, The
enjoyment of this world is little, and the Hereafter is better for he
who fears Allah. And injustice will not be done to you, [even] as much
as a thread [inside a date seed]."
Verse (4:162)
162nd verse of chapter 4 (sūrat l-nisāa):
Sahih
International: But those firm in knowledge among
them and the believers believe in what has been revealed to you, [O
Muhammad], and what was revealed before you. And the establishers of
prayer [especially] and the givers of zakah and the believers in Allah
and the Last Day - those We will give a great reward.
Verse (5:12)
12 verse of chapter 5 (sūrat
l-māidah):
Sahih
International: And Allah had already taken a
covenant from the Children of Israel, and We delegated from among them
twelve leaders. And Allah said, "I am with you. If you establish prayer
and give zakah and believe in My messengers and support them and loan
Allah a goodly loan, I will surely remove from you your misdeeds and
admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow. But whoever of you
disbelieves after that has certainly strayed from the soundness of the
way."
Verse (5:55)
55th verse of chapter 5 (sūrat
l-māidah):
Sahih
International: Your ally is none but Allah and
[therefore] His Messenger and those who have believed – those who
establish prayer and give zakah, and they bow [in worship].
Verse (7:156)
156th verse of chapter 7 (sūrat
l-aʿrāf):
Sahih
International: And decree for us in this world
[that which is] good and [also] in the Hereafter; indeed, we have
turned back to You." [Allah] said, "My punishment - I afflict with it
whom I will, but My mercy encompasses all things." So I will decree it
[especially] for those who fear Me and give zakah and those who believe
in Our verses -
Verse (9:5)
5th verse of chapter 9 (sūrat
l-tawbah):
Sahih
International: And when the sacred months have
passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture
them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of
ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakah,
let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
Verse (9:11)
11th verse of chapter 9 (sūrat
l-tawbah):
Sahih
International: But if they repent, establish
prayer, and give zakah, then they are your brothers in religion; and We
detail the verses for a people who know.
Verse (9:18)
18th verse of chapter 9 (sūrat
l-tawbah):
Sahih
International: The mosques of Allah are only to be
maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and establish
prayer and give zakah and do not fear except Allah , for it is expected
that those will be of the [rightly] guided.
Verse (9:71)
71st verse of chapter 9 (sūrat
l-tawbah):
Sahih
International: The believing men and believing
women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid
what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and
His Messenger. Those - Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah
is Exalted in Might and Wise.
Verse (19:31)
31st verse of chapter 19 (sūrat
maryam):
Sahih
International: And He has made me blessed wherever
I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and zakah as long as I remain alive
Verse (19:55)
55th verse of chapter 19 (sūrat maryam):
Sahih
International: And he used to enjoin on his people
prayer and zakah and was to his Lord pleasing.
Verse (21:73)
73rd verse of chapter 21 (sūrat
l-anbiyāa):
Sahih
International: And We made them leaders guiding by
Our command. And We inspired to them the doing of good deeds,
establishment of prayer, and giving of zakah; and they were worshippers
of Us.
Verse (22:41)
41st verse of chapter 22 (sūrat l-ḥaj):
Sahih
International: [And they are] those who, if We give
them authority in the land, establish prayer and give zakah and enjoin
what is right and forbid what is wrong. And to Allah belongs the
outcome of [all] matters.
Verse (22:78)
78th verse of chapter 22 (sūrat
l-ḥaj):
Sahih
International: And strive for Allah with the
striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in
the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father,
Abraham. Allah named you “Muslims” before [in former scriptures] and in
this [revelation] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you
may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakah
and hold fast to Allah. He is your protector; and excellent is the
protector, and excellent is the helper.
Verse (24:37)
37th verse of chapter 24 (sūrat
l-nūr):
Sahih
International: [Are] men whom neither commerce nor
sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah and performance of prayer
and giving of zakah. They fear a Day in which the hearts and eyes will
[fearfully] turn about -
Verse (24:56)
56th verse of chapter 24 (sūrat
l-nūr):
Sahih
International: And establish prayer and give zakah
and obey the Messenger - that you may receive mercy.
Verse (27:3)
3rd verse of chapter 27 (sūrat
l-naml):
Sahih
International: Who establish prayer and give zakah,
and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith].
Verse (30:39)
39th verse of chapter 30 (sūrat
l-rūm):
Sahih
International: And whatever you give for interest
to increase within the wealth of people will not increase with Allah.
But what you give in zakah, desiring the countenance of Allah - those
are the multipliers.
Verse (31:4)
4th verse of chapter 31 (sūrat
luq'mān):
Sahih
International: Who establish prayer and give zakah,
and they, of the Hereafter, are certain [in faith].
Verse (33:33)
33rd verse of chapter 33 (sūrat
l-aḥzāb):
Sahih
International: And abide in your houses and do not
display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of
ignorance. And establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His
Messenger. Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity [of sin],
O people of the [Prophet's] household, and to purify you with
[extensive] purification.
Verse (41:7)
7th verse of chapter 41 (sūrat
fuṣṣilat):
Sahih
International: Those who do not give zakah, and in
the Hereafter they are disbelievers.
Verse (58:13)
13th verse of chapter 58 (sūrat
l-mujādilah):
Sahih
International: Have you feared to present before
your consultation charities? Then when you do not and Allah has
forgiven you, then [at least] establish prayer and give zakah and obey
Allah and His Messenger. And Allah is Acquainted with what you do.
Verse (73:20)
12th verse of chapter 73 (sūrat
l-muzamil):
Sahih
International: Indeed, your Lord knows, [O
Muhammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or
half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you. And
Allah determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known
that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it and has turned to you in
forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur'an. He has
known that there will be among you those who are ill and others
traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of
Allah and others fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite what is
easy from it and establish prayer and give zakah and loan Allah a
goodly loan. And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you
will find it with Allah. It is better and greater in reward. And seek
forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
Verse (98:5)
5th verse of chapter 98 (sūrat
l-bayinah):
Sahih
International: And they were not commanded except
to worship Allah , [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to
truth, and to establish prayer and to give zakah. And that is the
correct religion.
According to the Quran, there are eight categories of people (asnaf)
who qualify to receive zakat funds
- Those living in absolute
poverty (Al-Fuqarā').
- Those restrained because they cannot meet their basic needs
(Al-Masākīn).
- The zakat collectors themselves (Al-Āmilīna
'Alaihā).
- Non-Muslims who are sympathetic to Islam or wish to convert
to Islam (Al-Mu'allafatu Qulūbuhum).
- People whom one is attempting to free from slavery or
bondage. Also includes paying ransom or blood money (Diyya). (Fir-Riqāb)
- Those who have incurred overwhelming debts while attempting
to satisfy their basic needs (Al-Ghārimīn).
- Those working in God's way (Fī Sabīlillāh).
- Children of the street / Travellers (Ibnus-Sabīl).
Chapter (9) sūrat l-tawbah (The
Repentance)
Sahih International: Zakah expenditures are
only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect
[zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing
captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah
and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And
Allah is Knowing and Wise.
Chapter (2) sūrat l-baqarah (The
Cow)
Sahih International: They ask you, [O
Muhammad], what they should spend. Say, "Whatever you spend of good is
[to be] for parents and relatives and orphans and the needy and the
traveler. And whatever you do of good - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it."
Chapter (2) sūrat l-baqarah (The
Cow)
Sahih International: [Charity is] for the
poor who have been restricted for the cause of Allah , unable to move
about in the land. An ignorant [person] would think them
self-sufficient because of their restraint, but you will know them by
their [characteristic] sign. They do not ask people persistently [or at
all]. And whatever you spend of good - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it.
Chapter (17) sūrat l-isrā (The
Night Journey)
Sahih International: And give the relative
his right, and [also] the poor and the traveler, and do not spend
wastefully.
Many people ask
“Do we need to pay Zakāt
in the
west?” The answer is simple. Zakāt
is
obligatory
on all Muslims. The Tax you pay is your duty as a citizen of the
country you
chose to live in. It is separate from you obligations as a Muslim.
However Zakāt
is only payable on surplus wealth. So if after paying your
taxes and all
your living expenses you don’t have any surplus wealth then no Zakāt is
due.
The amount
of Zakat to be paid by an individual depends on the amount of wealth
and the
type of assets the individual possesses. The Quran does not provide
specific
guidelines on which types of wealth are taxable under the zakat,
nor
does it specify percentages to be given.
Zakat is
only payable on assets continuously owned over one lunar year that are
in
excess of the nisab, a minimum monetary value. The nisab
is
calculated after adding the cash value of zakatable assets (gold,
silver, cash,
stocks, merchandise for business, livestock, etc.). Personal assets
such as
clothing, household furniture, and one residence are not considered
zakatable
assets.
The amount
of Zakat is best checked locally were you live. There are many hadith
on the
matter of Zakāt
so
it all depends on your personal view
as to which you chose to follow.
However
remember that Zakāt is only valid if you
are debt free and have no other obligations and have surplus wealth.
There is
no maximum limit you can give as much as you want as it is your
personal gift
to God.