By Dr. Sheikh Abdunasir Jama Warsame
Introduction
Zakat, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is a fundamental act of Islam that embodies both spiritual devotion and social responsibility. It is obligatory upon all eligible Muslims who possess the minimum required wealth (nisab) to give a prescribed portion of their assets annually to those in need. Beyond being a religious duty, Zakat serves to purify one’s wealth, promote compassion, and reduce economic inequality within the community by ensuring that the less fortunate are supported with dignity and care.
The motivation behind composing this concise article on Zakat and its essential rulings stems from the widespread lack of awareness among Muslims today, particularly among the youth. In this piece, I have highlighted the fundamental principles of the science of Zakat.
Firstly: it’s widely recognized among Muslims that Zakat constitutes one of the fundamental pillars of Islam. In several verses of the Holy Quran, Zakat is referenced in conjunction with prayer.
Second: Zakat plays a vital role in economic development and in stimulating the circulation of money between the rich and the poor.
Third: Giving zakat to the poor and needy encourages them to purchase various goods from merchants, who then acquire the goods from their sources.
Fourth: The prerequisites for zakat on gold, silver, livestock, and merchandise include: The requirement that it attains the minimum threshold (nisab) and that a complete year has elapsed since its acquisition. This stipulation is intended to provide merchants and asset holders with the chance to cultivate and enhance their diverse assets over the course of the year.
Fifth: Crops and fruits do not require a year, but they have a specific threshold, which is five wasqs, and one wasq equals (750KG).
The term “zakat” possesses profound linguistic and terminological foundations within Islamic philosophy. Linguistically: “zakat” (or “zakah”) denotes the concepts of increase or purification. This conveys the notion that the act of giving zakat can result in the enhancement and cleansing of both one’s wealth and character.
Terminologically: it represents a right or duty to allocate a portion of one’s wealth to those in need, thereby fostering social justice and economic equality. In the realm of Islamic economics, zakat is regarded as a fundamental component, ensuring that wealth is not accumulated but rather shared with those who require assistance, thus nurturing a sense of community and mutual aid. In summary, zakat encapsulates the ideals of compassion, social justice, and the understanding that all possessions are entrusted to individuals by Allaahd.
What is the procedure for disbursing Zakat from your assets?
The Messenger of Allaah, may Allaah bless him and grant him peace, specified the percentage of payment in gold and silver (coins or paper money) and trade good at 2.5%.
Zakat Amount = (Total Wealth Above Nisab) × 2.5%
This is the basic rate, and there are specific rules for different types of wealth, including agricultural produce, livestock, and trading inventory.
Example:
If you have $4,000 in savings for a full year, your Zakat would be:
The first method:
Amount /40
$4000/40 = $100
The second method
Zakat = $4,000 × 0.025 = $100
The third method:
$ 4,000 * 2.5 /100 = $100.
Zakat on gold: 2.5%
The minimum amount of gold subject to zakat (minimum value or minimum quantity), as mentioned by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), is 20 mithqals. A mithqal equals 4.25 grams. 20 * 4.25 = 85grams of gold. The current price for one gram of gold is $161 as of March 14, 2026.
Example: if you have (300 grams of gold), zakat will be on that amount as fallows (300/40 = 7.5 grams.
It is crucial to note that you have two options: the first option is to pay the exact amount in monetary equivalent. The second option is to pay in pure gold.
Zakat on silver: 2.5%.
The minimum amount of silver subject to zakat, as mentioned by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), is 200 dirhams. A dirham equals 2.975 grams. 200 * 2.975 = 595grams of silver. Approximately $2.77 per gram as of March 14, 2026
Zakat on livestock (cattle)?
Zakat on Cows: Minimum quantity -Nisaab- (30 cows):
There is no zakat applicable to any amount that is below that thresholdز
From ages 30 to 39: a calf (one year old – either male or female).
Zakat on sheep/Goats: Minimum quantity -Nisaab- (40 goats/sheeps):
From 40 – 120: Its zakat is one sheep.
From 121 – 200: Its zakat two sheep’s.
From 201 – 399: Its zakat two sheep’s
Then each 100: Its zakat is one sheep.
Livestock specifications: They should be grazing animals, not utilized for labour or fed with fodder, and intended for production (such as milk or offspring) or for trade.
Zakat on crops and fruits: Minimum quantity -Nisaab- (5 awsuq ama 5 rati rar – the load of 5 camles): There is no zakat obligation on amounts less than five wasqs, which is equivalent to three hundred sa’s (saac). Consequently, the minimum quantity of grain and fruit that is liable for zakat is three hundred (300 sa’s(saac). Its equivalent is approximately 750 kg (2.5 kg * 60 = 150 kg * 5 = nearly 750 kg).
Crucial notice:
Crops and fruits do not need an entire year to elapse before they can be harvested.
Allaah said in the Holy Quraan:
))كُلُوا مِن ثَمَرِهِ إِذَا أَثْمَرَ وَآتُوا حَقَّهُ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِ ۖ وَلَا تُسْرِفُوا ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ((
[ الأنعام: 141]
((Eat of their fruit when they ripen, but pay the due thereof (its
Zakât according to Allâh’s Orders on the day of its harvest))
Zakat is imposed on crops and fruits that are irrigated by rain, rivers, springs, and flowing water at a rate of 10%, whereas a rate of 5% is applied to crops that are irrigated through machinery, animals, and other methods.
Grapes undergo a purification process after they are transformed into raisins, while dates are purified once they have become dates.
Zakat on lands
Zakat on land is divided into three categories:
First: Land on which no zakat is due, such as land whose owner intends to build a residence or factory.
Second: Land intended for trade and profit: Zakat is due on this land, similar to the zakat on merchandise (2.5%), annually, according to the majority of scholars. This is because the intention to trade is present.
Third: Land whose owner is undecided between using it for trade and profit and using it for construction. No zakat is due on this land, because one of the conditions for zakat is that the intention to use the land for trade and profit be clear from the outset.
Fourth: The difference between the intention to sell and the intention to trade.
The intention to sell, as the jurists have stated, is the circulation of money with the aim of making a profit. If a person intends to buy land for residential or investment purposes, and then decides to sell it in order to relocate to a better and more suitable location, this person did not intend to trade and is not obligated to pay zakat, even if the land remains in their possession for many years (Reference: Zakat on Land and its Contemporary Issues, Dr. Abdullah bin Omar Al-Suhaibani, p. 8).
Fifth: Exemption from zakat on barren and unproductive lands
A major disagreement arose among scholars regarding the zakat on such lands, especially with the sharp decline in paper currency in those countries, which led to its conversion into real estate and land, and this waiting period may take several long years.
There are two opinions among scholars:
The majority opinion is that zakat is obligatory on it every year.
Another opinion is that land that has been barren and unproductive for many years is subject to zakat only once a year upon its sale. Among those who held this view were Ibn al-Majishun and Sahnun from the Maliki school, and among contemporary scholars, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi.
Definition of recession: “The opposite of spending and its opposite, and the verb is to become stagnant, and a stagnant market is barren and ruinous.” Ibn Manzur, in Lisan al-Arab.
Determining the duration of recession or stagnation: Some scholars have defined it as two years, reasoning that one year is a period for growth and development; if it is followed by another year, then stagnation is established, and the rulings regarding trade during that year are invalid. Another criterion is referring to custom and tradition in determining recession and stagnation.
Zakat on salaries:
The obligation is not based on the salary itself, but rather on the savings derived from it, as long as it meets the minimum threshold (nisab).
• (85 grams of gold or 595 grams of silver)
• And a year has elapsed since then.
• The saved money is liable for zakat after subtracting essential expenses at a rate of 2.5%.
Estate and Factories
Real estate and all types of exploitative factories are exempt from zakat; however, zakat is applicable on their annual profits if these profits meet the nisab threshold and a year has elapsed since their acquisition.
Zakat al-Fitr
Zakat al-Fitr is provided to the impoverished and those in need within the Muslim community. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) established its worth as one sa’ (a unit of volume) of the primary food of the region. This corresponds to [amount of] a sa’ in contemporary measurements 2.5kg or 3kg/per person.
The optimal time to make the payment is on the day of Eid fitr to the prayer; however, it is acceptable to pay it one or two days in advance of Eid.
Dr. Sheikh Abdunasir Jama Warsame
President of Frontier University,
Garowe, Puntland Somalia