Zakat is the fourth of the five Pillars of Islam. It is an obligatory act of charity that is payable by all qualifying Muslims which equates to 2.5% of expendable wealth. It is then distributed amongst the poor and needy. This responsibility is part of a Muslim’s service to Allah (SWT), pleasing Him and purifying one’s own wealth.
Umm-Al-Qura Shawwal 25, 1443
Pay Zakat with Children of Adam
Zakat is the fourth of the five Pillars of Islam. It is an obligatory act of charity that is payable by all qualifying Muslims which equates to 2.5% of expendable wealth. It is then distributed amongst the poor and needy.
Zakat Donations
A Zakat donation is so much more than any other act of charity. This annual payment is due exactly one lunar (hawl) year after your personal wealth exceeds the nisab threshold (which is the point at which your wealth qualifies for Zakat). This payment can be used for a wide range of purposes, from providing shelter to those without a place to call home, food for the hungry and medical care for the sick, amongst others.
The rate of Zakat one Muslim pays may be different to that which someone else pays. This is because Zakat is calculated on individual excess wealth based on the value of either silver or gold. For this reason, knowing how to work out Zakat and how much you need to pay can be confusing. To make it easier, we have implemented our Zakat calculator which will enable you to work out and pay Zakat that is due.
How to Donate Zakat
Once the Zakat Calculator has been completed, you can automatically pay Zakat online through the simple click of a button. If you are not ready to pay your Zakat, possibly because you have not yet reached a full lunar year, you can utilise the tool as a means of simply working out how much you can expect to pay once you have reached the end of the hawl.
If you are ready to pay, you can give Zakat to Children of Adam to use in conjunction with qualifying campaigns. Our team will ensure that your payment is distributed fairly and accordingly as per the pre-determined rules set out by the Holy Qur’an.
Who is Eligible for Zakat?
To qualify to receive a Zakat payment, a beneficiary must fall within at least one of the following eight categories:
- Poor
- In need
- Registered Zakat collectors
- Revert Muslims in need
- Those in debt
- Fighting the cause of Allah (SWT)
- Muslims who are stranded
- Those being held against their will (slavery)
As well as each of the above categories, there are other limitations on who can receive Zakat. These mostly apply to family relations as a Muslim may not give their Zakat payment to someone they are already responsible for (such as their wife, children and parents). The only real exception to this rule is that a wife may give her Zakat charity payment to her husband as, per Islamic tradition, she is not expected to be financially responsible for him.
Zakat should not be paid for religious duties, such as the building of a mosque. This is not regarded as fighting the cause of Allah as this is more geared towards soldiers that are engaged in conflict. Children of Adam runs the Sponsor a Prayer Space which qualifies as Sadaqah Jariyah, a voluntary form of charity that can be paid to us by our supporters.
Paying Zakat
To qualify to pay Zakat, your wealth must meet the nisab value as per either the silver or gold values and be:
- Above the age of puberty
- Of sound mind
- Have wealth that meets/exceeds the nisab value for one full hawl (lunar year)
Children are not required to be Zakat as they are neither above the age of puberty or have their own source of income. To calculate how much to pay, you can use our Zakat Calculator which automatically works out how much is payable on your personal wealth. The calculator will ask you to input several variables, such as:
- The value of gold in your possession
- The value of silver in your possession
- Money kept in bank accounts and in cash
- Cash deposited for future purposes
- Cash given in loans
- The value of other investments you may have
- Value of stock in your name
- Liabilities such as borrowed money/items on credit, wages owed to employees and bills (tax, rent and utilities)
Paying Zakat
Your Zakat donation will be distributed to those most in need both here in the United Kingdom and around the world in communities we work with. We will connect those most deserving with the help and support they need.
As a registered and recognised Zakat charity, it is our responsibility to ensure that your payment is used as per Islamic guidelines. Giving your Zakat will mean you receive the rewards and benefits that come with fulfilling this religious obligation, purifying your wealth and helping your fellow brothers and sisters.
And establish prayer and give Zakat, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves – you will find it with Allah.”
(2:110, Qur'an)
Ramadan appeals, making a difference
Zakat FAQs
If you’re unsure about Zakat, read our FAQs for more information.