Zakat is one of the Five Pillars of Islam — an annual obligatory charitable contribution of 2.5% of qualifying wealth. This guide explains the Nisab threshold for 2026, how to calculate your Zakat on savings, gold, silver, and business assets, and which causes are eligible to receive it.
Zakat is the third pillar of Islam — an obligatory act of worship for every adult Muslim whose wealth exceeds a minimum threshold. More than charity, Zakat is a duty owed to Allah and to the most vulnerable members of society. It purifies your wealth, redistributes it to those in need, and reminds us that everything we own is a trust. If you're ready to fulfil your obligation today, you can give your Zakat here.
The word Zakat means both "to purify" and "to grow." By giving a fixed portion of your accumulated wealth each year, you purify the rest of it and invite barakah (blessing) into your life and your finances. Zakat is mentioned alongside prayer (salah) more than 80 times in the Holy Quran — underlining how central it is to a believer's life.
You only pay Zakat if your net wealth is above the Nisab — the minimum amount of wealth a Muslim must hold for a full lunar year before Zakat becomes due. Nisab is calculated using the value of either:
Most scholars recommend using the silver standard, because it sets a lower threshold and therefore benefits more recipients. If the total value of your savings, gold, silver, cash, business inventory and other Zakatable assets is above the Nisab value and has been in your possession for one lunar year (hawl), Zakat is due.
Not sure whether you've reached Nisab? Our free Zakat Calculator does the maths for you in under two minutes — just enter your assets and it tells you exactly what you owe.
The standard rate of Zakat is 2.5% of your qualifying net wealth held over the lunar year. So for every $10,000 of eligible savings, your Zakat would be $250. It's a small percentage with an enormous impact — and calculating it precisely matters, which is why we built a dedicated Zakat Calculator to remove the guesswork.
The Holy Quran (Surah At-Tawbah 9:60) names eight categories of people who may receive Zakat, including the poor (al-fuqara), the needy (al-masakin), and those whose hearts are to be reconciled. Orphans and destitute children frequently fall within these categories — which is why sponsoring an orphan is one of the most rewarding ways to spend your Zakat. Learn more about orphan sponsorship and how just $50 a month transforms a child's life.
Every one of our programmes is 100% Zakat-eligible and verified by Islamic scholars. Your Zakat builds schools, sponsors orphans, feeds hungry children, and funds quality education for the most disadvantaged children across Pakistan, Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and Bangladesh. We also believe deeply in the long-term power of education — explore why in our guide to the importance of education.
When you give Zakat through READ Foundation, you can be confident that 100% of your obligation reaches those most entitled to receive it. You can also combine your Zakat with Sadaqah — voluntary charity — to multiply your reward.