Advanced Zakat Calculator
2026 | زكاة

Zakat is the compulsory annual charity — the third pillar of Islam — levied at 2.5% on zakatable net wealth. It is obligatory for every sane, adult Muslim who is free and whose net zakatable assets exceed the Nisab threshold for a complete lunar year (Hawl). Zakat is not voluntary; it is a debt of the wealthy to the poor as ordained in the Quran and Sunnah.

Nisab is the minimum wealth threshold above which Zakat becomes obligatory. It is defined as 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver. To find the current Nisab in your currency, multiply the current gold price per gram by 87.48 (gold Nisab) or silver price per gram by 612.36 (silver Nisab). The silver Nisab is typically lower, making Zakat applicable to more people — many scholars consider using silver Nisab more conservative and inclusive.

This is one of the most debated Zakat questions across Islamic schools of thought. The Hanafi madhab holds that Zakat is obligatory on all gold and silver, including jewellery used by women, because gold and silver are inherently zakatable. The Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hanbali madhabs generally exempt gold jewellery that is regularly worn for personal use. If you follow the Hanafi position (prevalent in South Asia), include your gold jewellery weight in the calculator above.

Most contemporary scholars advise that only the current month’s mortgage installment (the immediate liability) can be deducted — not the full outstanding mortgage balance. This is because deducting the entire mortgage would eliminate Zakat for most homeowners, which contradicts the spirit of the obligation. However, some scholars allow deducting one year’s worth of payments. Consult your local scholar for the most applicable ruling.

Yes, but the method varies. If you own shares in a company as a long-term investor, you pay Zakat on the zakatable assets of the company proportional to your share (cash, inventory, receivables). If you trade shares actively, you pay on their full market value. For simplified calculation, many scholars allow paying 2.5% on the market value of shares. For Halal mutual funds, pay 2.5% on the current NAV of your holding.

Zakat should ideally be paid on your Hawl anniversary — the lunar date on which your wealth first exceeded Nisab one year ago. Many Muslims choose to pay during Ramadan as acts of worship are multiplied, but this is a preference not an obligation. Zakat can be paid at any time during the year; what matters is that it covers the full zakatable year. Delaying payment unnecessarily when Zakat is due is disliked.

Zakat is the compulsory annual charity (2.5% of zakatable wealth). Sadaqah is voluntary charity — any amount given freely at any time for the sake of Allah. Zakat ul Fitr (Fitrana) is a separate obligation — a fixed per-head amount of staple food (or its equivalent in money) paid by the head of household before Eid ul Fitr prayers. Fidya is a compensation for missed fasts. All are forms of Islamic charity but with different rules and applications.

Zakat cannot be paid to those you are obligated to maintain (Nafaqa), such as your spouse, children, or parents. However, it can be given to other relatives who are eligible Zakat recipients (e.g., siblings, cousins, aunts/uncles who are poor), and this is even more virtuous as it maintains family ties. Zakat cannot be given to non-Muslims except in the category of Al-Muallafah (those whose hearts are to be reconciled).