Zakaat (1)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Definition of zakaat

Zakaat is the obligatory amount that one must give out, to its rightful recipients, of the wealth that has met a Specific minimum and special conditions. It is cleansing of the person and a purification of his soul. As Allah says;
"Of their goods take alms, so that you may purify and sanctify them"

Zakaat is one of the Five pillars of islam.
It is an obligation from Allah upon every Muslim who possesses the minimum amount of wealth given certain conditions.

The type of wealth upon which zakat is obligatory
*Monetary assets
*Livestock
*Agricultural produce
*Merchandise

(1) The zakaat on monetary Assets : Gold,Silver and currency

Zakaat of 2.5% is obligatory on gold if the amount one owns reaches twenty Mithqaal (i.e one Mithqaal is about 4 grams).
Zakaat of 2.5% is obligatory on Silver if the amount one owns reaches two hundred dirhams.
Paper currency actually depends on the value of the currency.So if the currency value reaches the  equivalent of the nisab of either gold or silver then zakat become obligatory on the currency.

Nisab is the minimum amount of either gold or silver that requires on to pay zakaat.

You could check the current value of the nisab in your local currency here.
Go to the page and click on the most current date.

(2) The zakaat on livestock

Zakaat obligatory on livestock such as camels,cattle,sheeps and goat if they are tended to for a year or more,freely grazing in a pasture land or vacant open lands.
if there amount reach the nisab and are in ones possession for a whole year,one pay zakaat on them if they were held for the purpose of milking and reproduction.

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The amount to be paid for sheep and goat are shown below:
* The minimum nisaab below which one is not required to pay no zakat is forty (40) sheeps or goats.

Number of Sheep/Goat	zakaat to be payed
40 to 120	One Sheep/Goat
121 to 200	Two
201 to 300	Three
For every additional 100	One additional Sheep or Goat

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The amount to be paid for cattle are shown below:
* The amount to be paid for cattle with thirty being the minimum nisaab below which one is not required to pay no zakat

Number of Cattle	zakaat to be payed
30 to 39	A young bull or Cow of One year old
40 to 59	A young Cow of Two year old
60	Two young Cows of One year old
For an additional 30	A young Cow of One year old (that is for 90 cattles then you pay Three one year old cow and for 120 you pay 4 one year cow and so on)
For an additional 40	Two young Cows of One year old (That is for 80 cattles you pay two cows of two years old and so on)

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 The amount to be paid for Camels are shown below:
* The amount to be paid for Camels with five being the minimum nisaab below which one is not required to pay no zakat

Number Of Camels	Zakaat to be payed
5 to 9	A Sheep
10 to 14	Two Sheep
15 to 19	Three Sheep
20 to 24	Four Sheep
25 to 35	A she-Camel which is One year old
36 to 45	A she-Camel which is Two years old
46 to 60	A she-Camel which is Three years old
71 to 75	A Four years old
76 yo 90	Two young she-Camels
91 to 120	Two three year old camels
121	Three young she-camels
For every additional forty	a young she-camel is due
And for additional 50	Three years old she camel is due

If the livestock (camel,cattle sheep and goat) are for trade and investment and they are owned for one year, then 2.5% of there value will be given as zakaat.
But if they are not for trade then there is no such zakaat.
When paying zakat only female animals are acceptable. A male is not sufficient except in the case of cattle or when given a camel which is a year or two years or three years old instead of a she-camel Or if all the livestock are male.

(3) The zakaat On Agricultural produce

Zakat is obligatory on all grains and all produce that are measured by dry volume and stored. Example are dates and raisins. The nisaab is three hundred saa (300) or approximately 624 Kilograms.
 Different varieties of the same produce, such as dates will be weighed together to reach the nisaab.


What is obligatory Concerning Grains and Produce
(1) One tenth (al-ushr) of the produce is to be given from the produce of land that is naturally irrigated,such as by rain water only
(2) One twentieth is to be given from the produce of the land that is irrigated by man-engineered means, such as by water from canals (and so forth)
(3) Three quater of one tenth is to be given if the produce was partially irrigated naturally and partially irrigated by man-engineered means

There is no zakat on vegetable and fruit if they are for the purpose of trade. However, 2.5% of their value is given if they reach the level of nisaab and are in one's possession for one year.

What is derived from the sea, such as pearls,rubies and fish,have no zakaat on them. However, if they are kept for trade purpose,2.5% of there value is to paid if they reach the nisaab and are in one's possession for an entire year.

Al-rikaaz refer to buried treasures in the earth. It is obligatory to give one-fifth of that (al-khums),regardless of whether it be a large or small amount. This money is to be given to the same categories of those who receive the Fai (wealth taken from an enemy with no fighting). The remaining four-fifths goes to the person who found the treasure.

(4) zakaat on Merchandise Goods

Merchandise Goods are those that are kept for the purpose of buying and selling in order to make a profit,whether they be immovable property,food,drink,utensil and so forth.

 If the value of the merchandise goods reaches the nisaab (of monetary assets) and if the goods are in one's possession for one year, then zakaat becomes obligatory upon them. 2.5% of the total value is to be given.It is permissible to give 2.5% of the actual goods themselves as zakaat.

 If the person who holds such goods intends simply to possess them and not deal in business with them,there is no zakat on them.
 The payment for a share or profit from trade have zakaat on them if the original principle has been in the person's possession for a year and the amount reaches the nisaab.

Recommended Acts when  Paying Zakaat
(1) One should pay the zakaat openly so that he would be free of any suspicion.
(2) One should distribute it himself to ensure that it gets to its rightful recipient
(3) Upon paying it,one should say "O Allah,make it a beneficial gain and do not make it a loss."
(4) The one who recieves the zakaat should say, "May Allah reward you for what you have given and bless you in what remains with you and make it purifying for you"
(5) It is recommended to give it to poor relatives for whom one is not financially responsible.

The recipients of zakaat
The group of people to whom one should is allowed to give zakaat are eight. They are ones mentioned in Allah's statement;

"Alms are for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds); for those whose hearts are to be reconciled (to the truth); for those in bondage and in debt; in the cause of Allah; and for the wayfarer: (thus it is ) ordained by Allah, and Allah is full of knoledge and wisdom" (Al-Taubah 60)

Hence, they are as follows;
(1) The poor; those who cannot meet some of their basic needs,
(2) The needy; those who meet most or half of their basic needs
(3) Those employed to administer the funds; those who collect and watch over the funds-but this is only if they do not receive a wage.

(4) Those whose hearts are to be reconciled to the truth: those leaders of their people who one hopes will embrace islam or those who are to be given to repel their harm or by given to them one hopes to strengthen their faith or have someone similar embrace islam.

(5) Those in bondage: those slaves who have made agreements with their masters to pay for their freedom.
(6) Those in dept;  this group falls into two categories: (a) those who have incurred a dept reconcile opposing parties and (b) a person himself who has fallen into dept and does not have the means to repay it.

(7) In the cause of Allah:to those volunteer fighters striving for the sake of Allah and those calling to the way of Allah and whatever helps and support their activities.  

(8) Wayfarers; those travelers who are cut off from their homeland and do not have wealth with them that will allow them to reach their homes.