Zakat Al-Mal

Allah SWT said in the Quran,

“Of their goods, take alms, that so you might purify and sanctify them; and pray on their behalf (ask forgiveness for them). Verily these prayers are a source of security for them, and Allah is One Who hears and knows" [Quran 9:103]

I want to pay my Zakat now...

What is Zakah?

Zakah is an annual tithe on one's wealth or possessions.
Zakah is one of Islam's obligations and one of its five main pillars.

The Prophet Muhammad PBUH said:
“Islam was built upon five pillars: to witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, performing prayer, giving alms, performing the pilgrimage, and fasting the month of Ramadan.” [Sahih Al Bukhari]

Furthermore, Allah strongly warns those who are careless in paying their Zakah. He said, “Those who hoard up treasures of gold and silver and spend them not in the way of Allah; tell them of a painful punishment, on the Day when that wealth will be heated in the Fire of Hell and with it will be branded their forehead, their sides and their backs, and it will be said to them:

"This is the treasure which you hoarded for yourselves. Now taste of what you used to hoard" [Quran 9:34-35]

What are the Benefits of Zakah?

There are a lot of benefits in giving charity and especially the Zakah. These benefits are mentioned in the Quran and Sunna. Here are some of them:

1. Satisfying Allah SWT and gaining His pleasure, and then gaining Paradise in the Hereafter,
as the duty of paying Zakah is a kind of worship ordered by Allah SWT.

2. Purifying the soul from selfishness and purifying the heart from the love of material.

3. Protecting the society from crime as the poor people would be satisfied by what the rich
    people pay to them. At-Tabarani relates in al-’Awsat and as-Saghir, on the authority of ‘Ali,
    that the Prophet (PBUH) said, “Allah has enjoined upon rich Muslims a due to be taken from
their properties corresponding to the needs of the poor among them". The poor will never
    suffer from starvation or lack of clothes unless the rich neglect their due. If they do, Allah will
    surely hold them accountable and punish them severely.”
4. Uniting the society where the poor feel the brotherhood with the rich and vice versa.

Who must give the Zakah?

There are conditions that must be satisfied by the person in order to give Zakah.
These conditions in brief are:

1. Islam. The person must be a Muslim.
2. Adulthood. The Zakah is not needed from a child
3. Sanity. The Zakah is not a must from an insane person.
4. Owning the money that is in excess of what's needed for necessities.
5. The Nisab. It is a minimum amount of money that is owned by a person before Zakah can be levied. The Nisab for gold is 85 grams and for silver it is 595 grams.
6. The Nisab must be kept one year by the owner.

Who must be paid the Zakah?

Islam specifies those to whom the Zakah can be paid. Eight categories of people are mentioned in the Chapter of the Holy Quran named Al-Tawba (Repentance), where Allah SWT said:

“The sadaqat (meaning the Zakah) are only for the Fuqara’ (the poor), Al-Masakin (the needy), those employed to manage and collect it, to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined towards Islam, to free the captives, for those in debt, for Allah’s Cause, and for the wayfarer (a traveller who is cut off from everything) - a duty imposed by Allah. And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise.” [Quran 9:60]

How is the Zakah paid?

If somebody has the Nisab and this amount was kept for one entire year then Zakah must be paid on it. The amount to be paid is 2.5% of the entire amount owned by that person.
1) If the person has an amount of gold or silver with the Nisab then 2.5% is to be paid.
2) If the person owns money and this money been held with him for one year then he needs
to check whether or not the Nisab has been reached. He finds that out by checking if he has
money equivalent to the price of 595 grams of silver. (We considered silver rather than gold
    here for the benefit of the poor.) If he owns this amount or more then he has to pay 2.5% of
    the total amount.
3) Regarding trading goods at the end of the year the goods must be evaluated, including the
profits with their previous capitals. The Nisab must be determined - related to the price of
    silver - and 2.5% is paid out for Zakah.

Human Appeal International accepts your Zakah at any time. You can pay your Zakah through any of our payment options. By donating your Zakah to HAI, we will choose the best target for it, or you may stipulate a target yourself.