In Arabic, zakat means purification, growth and blessing. It is a charitable practice that requires all able Muslims (those who meet the requirement of zakat as dependent upon nisab and hawl—see below) to contribute a fixed portion of their wealth – 2.5% of savings — to help the needy.

Nisab is the minimum amount of wealth a Muslim must have—after calculating necessary expenses—to be eligible to contribute zakat. Nisab is equivalent to the current value of 3 ounces of gold. The nisab we’ve calculated for our zakat calculator is based on the most-recent report available to us (disclaimer: this number may change daily depending on fluctuations in the gold exchange rate).

Hawl is defined as the completion period for a zakat asset, which is one lunar year. In other words, the wealth on which zakat should be paid must have been held for at least one full year. There are some forms of zakat that do not require hawl, such as for crops, when zakat should be paid at the time of the harvest. For clarification, it is recommended that you consult with your local imam or scholar.

Every adult Muslim who meets the requirements of nisab and hawl in a calendar year must pay zakat for that year. There are some conditions that may require others, a wali (guardian) of a minor for instance, to pay zakat too. As always, it is best to consult with your local imam or scholar for clarification.

Yes. In Islam, intention is an essential part of any act of worship, including the payment of zakat. The intention must be made at the time the zakat is paid.

For a detailed list of wealth to include, please see IRUSA’s zakat calculator.
These stipulations delineate the type of wealth that should be accounted for when calculating zakat:

• The wealth is yours and under your control. You do not need to include outstanding debts when calculating zakat.
• The wealth is subject to development and increasing.
• After calculating necessary expenses, the wealth meets the requirements of nisab.
• Personal belongings, such as clothes, primary homes, food, cars, are exempt from zakat.

Zakat should be paid as soon as possible prior to or at the time that you’ve earned the requisite amount of nisab each lunar year, or one year after you last paid it. Tip: A good way to ensure zakat is made in a timely fashion is to pay your zakat during Ramadan.

You may make your zakat contributions toward any of our funds or projects. It is your intention that counts in this case. However, if your contribution is specifically made to our zakat fund, then we will follow specific zakat guidelines.

Yayasan Relief Islami Indonesia follows the practice agreed upon by most scholars, which states that collectors of zakat are one of the eight groups that are eligible to receive zakat. As such, Yayasan Relief Islami Indonesia is eligible to use up to 12.5% of donations made to zakat-specific funds for core work, including administrative and operational functions. When YRII works with other partners or when working with Islamic Relief Worldwide to implement programs, additional fees may be applied by those groups to cover their costs incurred at the administrative and programmatic levels.

According to the Holy Qur’an (9:60), there are eight categories of people who qualify to be beneficiaries of zakat:

– The poor
-The needy
-The collectors of zakat
-Those who hearts are to be encouraged
-Captives
-Those burdened with debt
-In the cause of Allah (SWT)
-Travelers
Most scholars agree that the poor and needy are the most important categories of people to receive zakat. Given that, it is acceptable to give your entire zakat allotment to individuals who are in those groups.

One does not have to pay zakat on a primary place of residence. If the house qualifies as a secondary residence that sometimes get rented out, however, zakat is due on it after subtracting necessary expenses from the income generated.

Yes, on jewelry you do not regularly wear and that you own for investment purposes.

Yes. You may use the current value on stocks.

In the language of the Holy Qur’an, zakat and sadaqah are the same. In practice, however, sadaqah is the term used to indicate voluntary charitable giving while zakat is obligatory.

Zakat al-Mal (commonly called “zakat“) is due when a person’s wealth reaches the nisab amount and can be paid anytime during the year. Zakat al-Fitr is paid by the head of the household for each member of the family, before Eid al-Fitr prayer. Zakat al-Fitr is about the price of one meal—estimated at $15 in 2022.

Zakat al-Fitr should be paid on behalf of everyone in the family. There are some scholars that recommend that Zakat al-Fitr is also paid on behalf of unborn children after the 120th day of pregnancy, but do not view it as obligatory. Most scholars do agree, however, that Zakat al-Fitr should be paid on behalf of the baby after his/her birth. Please do consult with your local imam or scholar for further clarification.

It should be paid before Eid prayer (or any day during Ramadan). There are some schools of thought that also allow for Zakat al-Fitr to be paid even before Ramadan. Consult with your local imam or scholar if you need additional information.