ZAKAT
The Third Pillar of Islam
Purify your wealth. Lift a family out of hardship. Earn the pleasure of Allah.
What is Zakat?
Zakat (literally, “purification” and “growth”) is the obligatory annual charity that every eligible Muslim gives on their qualifying wealth. It is the third of the five pillars of Islam — mentioned more than thirty times in the Qur’an, almost always alongside Salah.
Far from being a tax, Zakat is an act of worship that purifies our wealth, frees the heart from attachment to material things, and re-distributes what Allah has entrusted us with to those in genuine need.
Each year, your Zakat with Hayat Charity reaches widows, orphans, refugees, and the displaced across Lebanon, Bosnia, Somalia, Yemen, Indonesia, and beyond — providing food, clean water, shelter, medical care, and the means to rebuild lives.
“Take from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them to increase, and invoke [Allah’s blessings] upon them.” — Surah At-Tawbah 9:103
Who Must Pay Zakat?
Zakat is obligatory on every Muslim who is:
- Adult (post-pubescent) and of sound mind.
- Free (not under bondage).
- In ownership of wealth equal to or above the nisab threshold.
- Has held that wealth for one full lunar (Hijri) year — the “hawl”.
The Nisab Threshold
Nisab is the minimum amount of wealth that makes Zakat obligatory. It is set, by the Sunnah, against the value of either gold or silver:
| Nisab Standard | Threshold (weight) | Approx. £ value |
| Gold | 87.48 grams | see live calculator |
| Silver | 612.36 grams | see live calculator |
Which standard should you use? The silver nisab is significantly lower than the gold nisab in today’s prices, so it captures more zakatable wealth and is generally more beneficial for the poor. Many UK scholars recommend using the silver nisab if your wealth consists primarily of cash, while others permit the gold nisab. Our calculator presents both — choose the one you follow.
View today’s live nisab values →
How Much is Due?
2.5% of your total qualifying wealth, paid once every lunar year — provided your wealth has remained at or above the nisab for the full year.
That is just £25 for every £1,000 of zakatable wealth — a small share by any measure, but multiplied across the Ummah it reshapes lives.
Where Does Your Zakat Go?
The Qur’an specifies precisely eight categories of recipients eligible to receive Zakat. No other category, no matter how worthy, may receive it:
“Zakat expenditures are only for the poor, and the needy, and those employed to collect [Zakat], and for bringing hearts together [for Islam], and for freeing captives, and for those in debt, and for the cause of Allah, and for the [stranded] traveller — an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.” — Surah At-Tawbah 9:60
| # | Category (Qur’anic term) | Description |
| 1 | Al-Fuqarā’ (The Poor) | Those without sufficient means to meet their basic needs. |
| 2 | Al-Masākīn (The Needy) | Those in even greater hardship than the poor — sometimes unable to make their need known. |
| 3 | Al-‘Āmilūn ‘alayhā (Zakat Administrators) | Those legitimately appointed to collect, manage, and distribute Zakat funds. |
| 4 | Al-Mu’allafati Qulūbuhum (Reconciliation of Hearts) | New Muslims and others whose hearts are to be brought closer or whose support is sought. |
| 5 | Fi al-Riqāb (Freeing of Captives) | Those held in bondage or unjust captivity who can be freed through payment. |
| 6 | Al-Ghārimīn (Those in Debt) | Those burdened with debt incurred for lawful needs and unable to repay. |
| 7 | Fī Sabīlillāh (In the Path of Allah) | Those striving in causes that benefit the Muslim community at large. |
| 8 | Ibn al-Sabīl (The Stranded Traveller) | Travellers cut off from their wealth and unable to continue their journey. |
Hayat Charity ensures that 100% of your Zakat is distributed strictly to recipients who fall within these eight categories, with full traceability and reporting.