Zakat and Nisab

Donate Your Zakat: Your donations enable us to save lives

Your Zakat has funded some of our crucial work with people and communities living in disaster and war zones: drought and famine-struck countries across East Africa; communities affected by conflict in Yemen; and families in war-torn Syria struggling to survive from one day to the next. Your Zakat has supported communities to build sustainable livelihoods in the face of climate change and to build better lives for orphans and vulnerable families across the globe.

Alhamdulillah! Last year alone, Zakat with Islamic Relief saved and changed the lives of over 1 million people.

Donate Your Zakat

How Islamic Relief Use Your Donation

Islamic Relief spends your donations in the most effective way possible to relieve the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable people.

We spend the funds on the first category of Zakat – the poor and needy. As administrators of Zakat, we also take a proportion to cover admin costs of distributing aid (e.g the cost of petrol to transport the aid to a remote community). When you make a Zakat donation, we take a fixed amount of 12.5% in admin fees.

What is Fitrana / Zaka ul fitr?

Fitrana (Zakat ul Fitr) is a charitable donation of food that is given before Eid prayer, therefore it must be given before the end of Ramadan. Fitrana must be given by every self-supporting Muslim who has food in excess of their needs, on behalf of themselves and their dependants.

How much is Zakat?

Your Zakat donation should amount to 2.5% of your total wealth. Therefore, if your total assets (after any debts owed) amounted to R10,000, you would pay R250. Use our free and easy Zakat Calculator to calculate how much you owe.

Zakat FAQs

Please note that for any specific queries, it is advisable to contact your local imam. You can also call our office on 020 7593 3232.

During Ramadan, Islamic Relief has a scholar available to issue specific guidance.

Here’s a list of Frequently Asked Questions that you can use for further guidance:

Does the non-Muslim have to pay Zakat?

No, zakat is only prescribed for Muslims.

Who is eligible to receive Zakat?

1.There are eight categories of people who are eligible to receive Zakat.

2. The poor

3. The needy

4. Administrators of Zakat

5. Those whose hearts have been recently reconciled

6. Those who have been enslaved

7. Those in debt

8. In the cause of God

9. Travellers (including refugees)

A poor person is someone whose property, in excess of his basic requirements, does not reach the nisab threshold. The recipient must not belong to your immediate family, therefore; your spouse, children, parents and grandparents cannot receive your zakat. Other relatives, however, can receive your zakat.

I owe several years of Zakat, how do I pay?

For every year that you owe Zakat, take 2.5% from the total wealth you had at the end of that year and pay that in Zakat. If you are not sure how much wealth you had, you must estimate it to the best of your ability. E.g. It is now Ramadan 2022. You have not paid Zakat for the last 5 years. You need to work out how much wealth you owned every Ramadan for the last 5 years and pay 2.5% of that.

Miscellaneous Questions

I normally give a lot of money in charity throughout the year, do I still have to pay Zakat?

You must pay zakat with the intention of paying it. Therefore, it is important that you make an intention to give a donation as a zakat payment.

I paid Zakat on R4,000 last Ramadan. This year I have a total of R10,000 of wealth liable to Zakat. What value do I take the 2.5% from as I paid for the R4,000 last year?

It is to be paid on the total savings regardless of what was paid on it in the past. Therefore, you would pay 2.5% of R10,000, R250.

Miscellaneous Questions: Saving and Jewellery

If a child’s wealth has satisfied all the conditions of Zakat (i.e. it is above the Nisab and has been in their possession for one year), should Zakat be paid on it?

The majority of the scholars from the past favoured the opinion that it should be paid. This is the same for both the child and the insane person. Therefore, their guardian should take the Zakat from the person’s wealth and pay it on their behalf. However, some opinion suggest that it is not due on children and insane people, so please discuss with a scholar.

I have mixed jewellery consisting of gold, silver and precious stones. How do I calculate the value on which Zakat must be paid?

The best way for you to do this would be to take the jewellery to a jeweller and ask them to value just the gold and silver parts of the jewellery. The valuations they give will be the total on which you have to pay Zakat. Precious stones are not liable for Zakat.

I have savings which I shall use to go for Hajj, is this to be included in my wealth when calculating Zakat?

Yes, it must be included.

Miscellaneous Questions: Business and Property

I bought a house for the purpose of renting 5 years ago. Last year I decided that I would sell the house. How do I pay Zakat on this?

For the time that you were renting the house out and did not have the intention of selling, you do not pay Zakat on the house. But you would still have to pay it on the rent you earned just like any other wealth you have. You must pay Zakat after one lunar year from the day you made the intention to sell the house. You must also pay it on the selling price of the house. However, if you are paying in advance, you would need to estimate this. You would need to do the same for every year after that in which the house is still for sale. But to be absolutely clear, please discuss this with a scholar.

I have a shop where I sell clothes. How do I pay Zakat?

Every year at the time of paying Zakat, you would need to calculate the total selling price for all the goods for sale in your shop. E.g. All the clothes for sale in your shop add up to a total selling value of a particular sum of money. You would add this to your other wealth when calculating your total payment.

General Questions

Do you have a Zakat policy? Can you share it with me?

We have a zakat policy which has been reviewed by scholars and is available on our website.

Which scholars have you consulted in order to come up with your Zakat policy?

We consulted a panel of experts to come up with our Zakat policy.