Zakat is an obligatory act of worship upon qualifying wealth, intended to purify wealth and direct support towards those entitled to receive it.
Zakat is one of the fundamental obligations in Islam and one of its five pillars. It is not merely a voluntary donation, but an obligatory financial act of worship imposed upon qualifying wealth when its prescribed conditions are fulfilled.
The Qur’an repeatedly commands the establishment of prayer together with the giving of Zakat. Surah At-Tawbah 9:60 identifies eight categories entitled to receive Zakat, while Surah At-Tawbah 9:103 associates the taking of Zakat with purification. The detailed rulings concerning nisab, haul and the amount due depend upon the type of qualifying wealth and the applicable rules of fiqh.
Islamic law does not make the validity of Zakat dependent upon one particular physical method of transferring money. The essential consideration is that the obligation is fulfilled according to its conditions, including intention, the amount due, lawful distribution and delivery to those entitled to receive Zakat.
Classical jurists discussed the payment and distribution of Zakat long before electronic banking existed. Among the established principles relevant to modern payment methods are niyyah (intention) and wakalah (agency), whereby a payer may appoint another person or authorised body to deliver Zakat on his or her behalf.
The Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi‘i and Hanbali schools all recognise the use of agency in the payment or distribution of Zakat within their respective detailed rulings. Therefore, a payer is not required in every case to physically hand the money to the final recipient personally.
On that basis, a bank transfer or online payment can function as a modern means of transmitting Zakat. The permissibility does not arise from the internet itself, but from established fiqh principles concerning intention, agency and the valid delivery of Zakat.
Choose the type of Zakat that applies to your wealth. Each category has its own conditions and calculation rules.
Zakat on qualifying gold and silver when the applicable nisab and other required conditions are fulfilled.
Gold and silver are among the forms of wealth on which Zakat may become due once the relevant threshold and conditions are met. Jewellery treatment and calculation details can differ according to the applicable fiqh view.
Zakat on qualifying business and trading assets held for commercial purposes.
Trade goods generally concern assets acquired and held for resale or commercial trade. The amount due depends on the value of qualifying business assets and the applicable Zakat rules.
Zakat on qualifying crops and agricultural produce according to the applicable conditions.
Agricultural Zakat concerns qualifying crops and produce. Its timing, threshold and rate are category-specific and should not automatically be treated the same as monetary wealth.
Zakat on qualifying livestock when the required type, number and other conditions are fulfilled.
Livestock Zakat applies to qualifying animals under detailed rules concerning species, number, ownership and other conditions. The calculation varies according to the applicable category.
Zakat relating to qualifying buried treasure or rikāz when it is discovered.
Rikāz refers to qualifying buried treasure under Islamic jurisprudence. Its treatment has distinct rules and should be assessed separately from ordinary savings or trade assets.
Zakat relating to qualifying minerals and natural resources extracted from the earth.
Extracted minerals are treated as a distinct category in classical Zakat discussions. Detailed conditions and the amount due vary according to the applicable fiqh position.
Zakat relating to qualifying wealth newly acquired or received, subject to the applicable rules and conditions.
Newly acquired wealth may include qualifying wealth received during the year. Its Zakat treatment, including how it relates to existing wealth and haul, depends on the applicable fiqh rules.
An obligatory charity associated with the end of Ramadan and paid within its prescribed period.
Zakat al-Fitr is connected with the completion of Ramadan and is paid for eligible Muslims within its prescribed time. The amount and permitted form of payment should follow the applicable guidance.
Zakat is distributed among the eight eligible categories identified in Surah At-Tawbah 9:60.
al-Fuqara’
al-Masakin
al-‘Amilin
al-Mu’allafati Qulubuhum
al-Riqab
al-Gharimin
fi Sabilillah
Ibn al-Sabil
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