What is Zakat in Islam? How to Calculate It?

  • Publish date: Monday، 03 May 2021 | Last update: Tuesday، 13 July 2021
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Muslims are asked to perform Zakat, the giving 2.5% of one's wealth to charity, generally to the poor and needy as it is one of the Five Pillars of Islam

Zakat is mandatory to all adult Muslims who earn a minimum amount of money each year — known as nisab. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36g of silver. As a result, the monetary value of nisab varies according to current prices and currencies.

This payment is said to “purify” a Muslim’s wealth.

Two types of Zakat:

Zakat Al Mal is the “cleansing of wealth” that is done through the annual donation of a percentage of a persons income to charity. Zakat Al Fitr is a donation to charity given during Ramadan and before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food.

Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of their own needs must pay a minimum of two qadahs (an old measure equalling just over two kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household.

Smart Dubai has collaborated with the UAE Zakat Fund to launch a new and secure zakat payment service on the government app DubaiNow in time for Ramadan.

Image Source: WAM