What zakat is, and why it matters
The meaning of zakat, its place as the third pillar of Islam, and the warnings and rewards the Qur'an and hadith attach to it.
Zakat is giving a small, set share of your savings to poor Muslims every year. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, just like Salah (the five daily prayers). The Qur'an talks about Zakat and Salah together very often, because they are both so important.
Giving zakat is fard: it is one of the five pillars of Islam, and Allah has made it a duty on every Muslim who has enough saved wealth, to be taken from the rich and given to the poor.
12Zakat means ‘to purify, to bless, and to grow.’ When you give Zakat, it cleans the wealth you keep, brings you Allah’s blessing, and Allah rewards you ten times or more for it in the Hereafter.
Refusing to give zakat when you must is haram. The Prophet ﷺ warned that the wealth a person hid will come back on the Day of Judgement as a snake around their neck, and hoarded gold and silver will be heated and pressed against them.
12345But there is very good news too. The Qur’an promises a great reward to those who pray and give Zakat, and says Allah’s mercy is written for those who are mindful of Him and give Zakat. Hadiths say Zakat keeps your wealth safe, that wealth without Zakat paid on it is lost, and that giving Zakat cleans both your wealth and yourself.
Paying zakat is a duty that also brings great good: it cleans the wealth you keep, keeps it safe, and earns a great reward and Allah's mercy, as the Qur'an and hadith promise.
1Zakat is the third pillar of Islam, an obligatory act of worship held in the same high esteem as Salah. After Salah, nothing in the Shariah receives greater emphasis: the Qur'an pairs Zakat with Salah in more than thirty places, and hadith repeatedly mentions them together, since Salah is the pivotal act of worship and Zakat is bound to it in importance.
Zakat is fard, the third pillar of Islam, an obligation Allah has placed on the wealth of every Muslim who possesses the minimum amount, taken from the rich and given to the poor, and held in the same high esteem as Salah, with which the Qur'an pairs it in more than thirty places.
12In Arabic, Zakah means purification, blessing and growth. In Islamic law it is the obligation to give a specific portion of one’s wealth to a poor Muslim, one who is neither a Sayyid nor a lawful slave, as fixed by the Shariah. Doing so purifies the wealth that remains, brings Allah’s blessing, increases wealth in this world, and earns a reward of ten times or more in the Hereafter. This is why it is called Zakah.
وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يَبْخَلُوْنَ بِمَا͏ٓ اٰتٰىهُمُ اللّٰهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهٖ هُوَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْؕ بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَّهُمْؕ سَيُطَوَّقُوْنَ مَا بَخِلُوْا بِهٖ يَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَةِؕ وَلِلّٰهِ مِيْرَاثُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْاَرْضِؕ وَاللّٰهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ خَبِيْرٌ ١٨٠ࣖ
Wa lā yaḥsabanna'lladhīna yabkhalūna bimā ātāhumu'llāhu min faḍlihī huwa khayran lahum, bal huwa sharrun lahum, sayuṭawwaqūna mā bakhilū bihī yawma'l-qiyāmah
And let not those who are niggardly with respect to what Allah has given them out of His bounty think that it is good for them; on the contrary it is bad for them. Soon that for which they were niggardly shall be their necklace on the Day of Resurrection. And only Allah is the Heir of heavens and earth and Allah is aware of your doings.
Qurʼan 3:180, Aal-E-Imran, from Zujajah.org
يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اِنَّ كَثِيْرًا مِّنَ الْاَحْبَارِ وَالرُّهْبَانِ لَيَاْكُلُوْنَ اَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَيَصُدُّوْنَ عَنْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِؕ وَالَّذِيْنَ يَكْنِزُوْنَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنْفِقُوْنَهَا فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِۙ فَبَشِّرْهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ اَلِيْمٍ ٣٤ۙ
Wa'lladhīna yaknizūna'dh-dhahaba wa'l-fiḍḍata wa lā yunfiqūnahā fī sabīli'llāhi fabashshirhum bi-ʿadhābin alīm
'O believers! Verily many of the priests and monks devour the wealth of the people wrongfully and bar from the path of Allah. And those who hoard up gold and silver and spend not in the path of Allah give them the good tidings of a painful torment.
Qurʼan 9:34, At-Tawbah, from Zujajah.org
يَّوْمَ يُحْمٰي عَلَيْهَا فِيْ نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ فَتُكْوٰي بِهَا جِبَاهُهُمْ وَجُنُوْبُهُمْ وَظُهُوْرُهُمْؕ هٰذَا مَا كَنَزْتُمْ لِاَنْفُسِكُمْ فَذُوْقُوْا مَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْنِزُوْنَ ٣٥
Yawma yuḥmā ʿalayhā fī nāri jahannama fatukwā bihā jibāhuhum wa junūbuhum wa ẓuhūruhum, hādhā mā kanaztum li-anfusikum fa-dhūqū mā kuntum taknizūn
The day when they shall be heated in the fire of the Hell, then their foreheads and sides and backs shall be branded therewith. This is what you had hoarded for yourselves, now taste the hoarding.
Qurʼan 9:35, At-Tawbah, from Zujajah.org
Withholding zakat that is due is haram and carries a severe punishment: the Qur'an and the Prophet ﷺ warn that the wealth withheld will encircle its owner's neck as a bald snake on the Day of Resurrection, and that hoarded gold and silver will be heated in the Fire and used to brand his forehead, sides and back.
12345Just as the warnings are severe, the promises to those who give Zakat are great: reward, mercy, success and victory.
لٰكِنِ الرّٰسِخُوْنَ فِي الْعِلْمِ مِنْهُمْ وَالْمُو͏ٔ͏ْمِنُوْنَ يُو͏ٔ͏ْمِنُوْنَ بِمَا͏ٓ اُنْزِلَ اِلَيْكَ وَمَا͏ٓ اُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ وَالْمُقِيْمِيْنَ الصَّلٰوةَ وَالْمُو͏ٔ͏ْتُوْنَ الزَّكٰوةَ وَالْمُو͏ٔ͏ْمِنُوْنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْاٰخِرِؕ اُولٰ࢜ىِٕكَ سَنُو͏ٔ͏ْتِيْهِمْ اَجْرًا عَظِيْمًا ١٦٢ࣖ
Wa'l-muqīmīna'ṣ-ṣalāta wa'l-muʾtūna'z-zakāta wa'l-muʾminūna billāhi wa'l-yawmi'l-ākhiri ulāʾika sanuʾtīhim ajran ʿaẓīmā
Yes, but those of them who are firm in knowledge and believe, they believe in that which (O beloved prophet) has been sent down to you and that which was sent down before you, and the establishers of prayer and giver of poor due (Zakat) and the believers in Allah and the Last Day, to such, We shall soon give a great reward.
Qurʼan 4:162, An-Nisa, from Zujajah.org
وَاكْتُبْ لَنَا فِيْ هٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَّفِي الْاٰخِرَةِ اِنَّا هُدْنَا͏ٓ اِلَيْكَؕ قَالَ عَذَابِيْٓ اُصِيْبُ بِهٖ مَنْ اَشَا࢜ءُۚ وَرَحْمَتِيْ وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍؕ فَسَاَكْتُبُهَا لِلَّذِيْنَ يَتَّقُوْنَ وَيُو͏ٔ͏ْتُوْنَ الزَّكٰوةَ وَالَّذِيْنَ هُمْ بِاٰيٰتِنَا يُو͏ٔ͏ْمِنُوْنَ ١٥٦ۚ
Wa raḥmatī wasiʿat kulla shayʾin fasa-aktubuhā lilladhīna yattaqūna wa yuʾtūna'z-zakāta wa'lladhīna yuʾminūna bi-āyātinā
And prescribe for us in this world good and in the Hereafter, no doubt, we have returned to You. He said, 'My punishment, I inflict whom I will, and My mercy encompasses all things. Then soon I shall prescribe it for those who fear God and pay the poor due and believe in Our Signs.
Qurʼan 7:156, Al-A'raf, from Zujajah.org
قَدْ اَفْلَحَ الْمُو͏ٔ͏ْمِنُوْنَ ١ۙ
Qad aflaḥa'l-muʾminūn, alladhīna hum fī ṣalātihim khāshiʿūn, wa'lladhīna hum ʿani'l-laghwi muʿriḍūn, wa'lladhīna hum li'z-zakāti fāʿilūn
Undoubtedly, the believers reached to their goal.
Qurʼan 23:1, Al-Mu'minun, from Zujajah.org
Paying zakat, which is fard, purifies the wealth that remains with its owner and safeguards it, and brings the great reward, mercy and success the Qur'an promises those who establish prayer and give zakat; the Prophet ﷺ explained that Allah obligated zakat only to purify what remains of one's wealth.
1Zakah is the third pillar of Islam, some scholars count prayer as the first pillar after faith and Zakah as the second, and stands, after Salah, at the highest point of emphasis in the Shariah. The Qur'an pairs Zakah with Salah in more than thirty places and mentions it separately besides; hadith likewise binds the two together repeatedly, Zakah drawing its status from its association with the pivotal act of worship.
Zakah is fard, the third pillar of Islam, an obligation Allah has imposed on the wealth of the Muslims, to be taken from their rich and given to their poor, and standing after Salah at the highest point of emphasis in the Shariah, so that the Prophet ﷺ named it with the five prayers among what he sent Mu'adh to teach.
12Lexically, Zakah denotes purification, blessing (barakah) and growth. As a term of Shariah it is the obligation of transferring ownership of a specific, Shariah-fixed portion of wealth to a poor Muslim who is neither a Sayyid nor a lawful slave, the giver’s intention being a precondition as in other acts of worship. It purifies the wealth that remains with the payer, brings blessing, increases wealth in this world, and Allah rewards it tenfold or more in the Hereafter, hence the name.
وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يَبْخَلُوْنَ بِمَا͏ٓ اٰتٰىهُمُ اللّٰهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهٖ هُوَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْؕ بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَّهُمْؕ سَيُطَوَّقُوْنَ مَا بَخِلُوْا بِهٖ يَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَةِؕ وَلِلّٰهِ مِيْرَاثُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْاَرْضِؕ وَاللّٰهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ خَبِيْرٌ ١٨٠ࣖ
Wa lā yaḥsabanna'lladhīna yabkhalūna bimā ātāhumu'llāhu min faḍlihī huwa khayran lahum, bal huwa sharrun lahum, sayuṭawwaqūna mā bakhilū bihī yawma'l-qiyāmah
And let not those who are niggardly with respect to what Allah has given them out of His bounty think that it is good for them; on the contrary it is bad for them. Soon that for which they were niggardly shall be their necklace on the Day of Resurrection. And only Allah is the Heir of heavens and earth and Allah is aware of your doings.
Qurʼan 3:180, Aal-E-Imran, from Zujajah.org
يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اِنَّ كَثِيْرًا مِّنَ الْاَحْبَارِ وَالرُّهْبَانِ لَيَاْكُلُوْنَ اَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَيَصُدُّوْنَ عَنْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِؕ وَالَّذِيْنَ يَكْنِزُوْنَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنْفِقُوْنَهَا فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِۙ فَبَشِّرْهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ اَلِيْمٍ ٣٤ۙ
Wa'lladhīna yaknizūna'dh-dhahaba wa'l-fiḍḍata wa lā yunfiqūnahā fī sabīli'llāhi fabashshirhum bi-ʿadhābin alīm
'O believers! Verily many of the priests and monks devour the wealth of the people wrongfully and bar from the path of Allah. And those who hoard up gold and silver and spend not in the path of Allah give them the good tidings of a painful torment.
Qurʼan 9:34, At-Tawbah, from Zujajah.org
يَّوْمَ يُحْمٰي عَلَيْهَا فِيْ نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ فَتُكْوٰي بِهَا جِبَاهُهُمْ وَجُنُوْبُهُمْ وَظُهُوْرُهُمْؕ هٰذَا مَا كَنَزْتُمْ لِاَنْفُسِكُمْ فَذُوْقُوْا مَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْنِزُوْنَ ٣٥
Yawma yuḥmā ʿalayhā fī nāri jahannama fatukwā bihā jibāhuhum wa junūbuhum wa ẓuhūruhum, hādhā mā kanaztum li-anfusikum fa-dhūqū mā kuntum taknizūn
The day when they shall be heated in the fire of the Hell, then their foreheads and sides and backs shall be branded therewith. This is what you had hoarded for yourselves, now taste the hoarding.
Qurʼan 9:35, At-Tawbah, from Zujajah.org
Withholding zakah that is due is haram, and the Qur'an and hadith attach a severe punishment to it: the wealth withheld will be made a bald snake around its owner's neck on the Day of Resurrection, hoarded gold and silver will be heated in Hell and pressed to his forehead, sides and back, and the livestock whose due went unpaid will trample and gore him; hence Abu Bakr's resolve to fight those who separated zakah from salah.
12345Where the warnings for withholding Zakah are severe, the glad tidings for giving it (reward, mercy, success and victory) are equally emphatic.
لٰكِنِ الرّٰسِخُوْنَ فِي الْعِلْمِ مِنْهُمْ وَالْمُو͏ٔ͏ْمِنُوْنَ يُو͏ٔ͏ْمِنُوْنَ بِمَا͏ٓ اُنْزِلَ اِلَيْكَ وَمَا͏ٓ اُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ وَالْمُقِيْمِيْنَ الصَّلٰوةَ وَالْمُو͏ٔ͏ْتُوْنَ الزَّكٰوةَ وَالْمُو͏ٔ͏ْمِنُوْنَ بِاللّٰهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْاٰخِرِؕ اُولٰ࢜ىِٕكَ سَنُو͏ٔ͏ْتِيْهِمْ اَجْرًا عَظِيْمًا ١٦٢ࣖ
Wa'l-muqīmīna'ṣ-ṣalāta wa'l-muʾtūna'z-zakāta wa'l-muʾminūna billāhi wa'l-yawmi'l-ākhiri ulāʾika sanuʾtīhim ajran ʿaẓīmā
Yes, but those of them who are firm in knowledge and believe, they believe in that which (O beloved prophet) has been sent down to you and that which was sent down before you, and the establishers of prayer and giver of poor due (Zakat) and the believers in Allah and the Last Day, to such, We shall soon give a great reward.
Qurʼan 4:162, An-Nisa, from Zujajah.org
وَاكْتُبْ لَنَا فِيْ هٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَّفِي الْاٰخِرَةِ اِنَّا هُدْنَا͏ٓ اِلَيْكَؕ قَالَ عَذَابِيْٓ اُصِيْبُ بِهٖ مَنْ اَشَا࢜ءُۚ وَرَحْمَتِيْ وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍؕ فَسَاَكْتُبُهَا لِلَّذِيْنَ يَتَّقُوْنَ وَيُو͏ٔ͏ْتُوْنَ الزَّكٰوةَ وَالَّذِيْنَ هُمْ بِاٰيٰتِنَا يُو͏ٔ͏ْمِنُوْنَ ١٥٦ۚ
Wa raḥmatī wasiʿat kulla shayʾin fasa-aktubuhā lilladhīna yattaqūna wa yuʾtūna'z-zakāta wa'lladhīna yuʾminūna bi-āyātinā
And prescribe for us in this world good and in the Hereafter, no doubt, we have returned to You. He said, 'My punishment, I inflict whom I will, and My mercy encompasses all things. Then soon I shall prescribe it for those who fear God and pay the poor due and believe in Our Signs.
Qurʼan 7:156, Al-A'raf, from Zujajah.org
قَدْ اَفْلَحَ الْمُو͏ٔ͏ْمِنُوْنَ ١ۙ
Qad aflaḥa'l-muʾminūn, alladhīna hum fī ṣalātihim khāshiʿūn, wa'lladhīna hum ʿani'l-laghwi muʿriḍūn, wa'lladhīna hum li'z-zakāti fāʿilūn
Undoubtedly, the believers reached to their goal.
Qurʼan 23:1, Al-Mu'minun, from Zujajah.org
The payment of zakah, itself fard, purifies the wealth that remains with the payer and safeguards it, and secures the great reward, mercy and falah the Qur'an promises those who establish salah and give zakah; the Prophet ﷺ explained that Allah obligated zakah only to purify what remains of one's wealth.
1This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 1,087 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Rulings of Zakat Introduction
Zakat is the third pillar of Islam [Some scholars have classified prayer as the first pillar of Islam after faith, and Zakat as the second pillar.], similar to Salah, a highly esteemed and obligatory act of worship. In Shariah, after Salah, Zakat holds the greatest emphasis, and its virtues have been extensively highlighted. It suffices to mention that in the Quran, Zakat is paired with Salah 32 times. Additionally, it is mentioned separately in several places. Moreover, in the Hadiths, both Salah and Zakat are often mentioned together, signifying their strong connection. Since Salah is a pivotal act of worship in Shariah and has significant emphasis, Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) have associated Zakat with Salah. Thus, Zakat attains a status close to Salah in terms of its importance and practice. This shows its significance and the emphasis Allah has placed on its fulfillment.
Therefore, those who neglect Zakat face severe punishments that instill fear in the hearts of believers. Here are two examples from the Quran and Hadith:
وَ لَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَا اٰتٰهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهٖ هُوَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَّهُمْ سَيُطَوَّقُونَ مَا بَخِلُوا بِهٖ يَوْمَ الْقِيمَةِ .
"And let not those who withhold what Allah has given them of His bounty think it is better for them. Rather, it is worse for them. Their necks will be encircled by what they withheld on the Day of Resurrection."
(Surah Aal-e-Imran, 3:180)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) explained this verse:
"Whoever is given wealth by Allah and does not pay its Zakat, that wealth will appear on the Day of Judgment as a bald snake with two fangs. It will coil around his neck, biting his jaws, and say, ‘I am your wealth; I am your treasure.’" The Prophet then recited this verse: وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ.
2. وَالَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُوۡنَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَ لَا يُنۡفِقُوۡنَهَا فِي سَبِيۡلِ اللَّهِ فَبَشِّرُهُمۡ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ ، يَوْمَ يُحْمٰى عَلَيْهَا فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ فَتَكُوٰى بِهَا جِبَاهُهُمْ وَ جُنُوبُهُمْ وَ ظُهُوۡرُهُمْ هَذَا مَا كَنَزۡ تُمْ لَا نُفُسِكُمْ فَذُوقُوۡا مَا كُنتُمْ تَكْنِزُونَ
"And those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of Allah—give them tidings of a painful punishment. On the Day it will be heated in the Fire of Hell and seared therewith will be their foreheads, their sides, and their backs. (It will be said,) 'This is what you hoarded for yourselves, so taste what you used to hoard.'”
(Surah At-Tawbah, 9:34-35)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) further explained:
"No dinar will be placed over another dinar, nor any dirham over another dirham. Instead, the person’s body will be made so large that every single coin will have a separate mark on it."
Such warnings are terrifying. When some Arab tribes refused to give Zakat after the Prophet’s passing, Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) decided to fight them. Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) asked how he could fight those who say La ilaha illallah, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said their lives and wealth are protected. Abu Bakr replied, "By Allah, I will fight those who differentiate between Salah and Zakat. By Allah, if they withhold even a small goat they used to give to the Prophet, I will fight them." Umar said, "By Allah, I saw that Allah had opened Abu Bakr’s heart to the truth, and I realized he was right."
Where there are severe warnings for those who do not give zakah, there are also great glad tidings for those who give zakah. This means promises of reward, mercy, success, and victory.
(1)
وَالْمُقِيمِينَ الصَّلَوَةَ وَالْمُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ سَنُؤْتِيهِمْ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا (Surah An-Nisa, 4:162)
Translation: "And those who establish prayer and give zakah and believe in Allah and the Last Day, it is they who will be given a great reward."
(2)
وَرَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَسَاكُتُبُهَا لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِآيَاتِنَا (Surah Al-A'raf, 7:156)
Translation: "And My mercy encompasses all things, so I will decree it for those who fear Me, give zakah, and believe in Our signs."
(3)
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِزَكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ (Surah Al-Mu’minun, 23:1-4)
Translation: "Indeed, the believers have succeeded. They who are humble in their prayer, and they who turn away from ill speech, and they who give zakah."
In the hadith, it is stated that:
"By giving zakah, safeguard your wealth in strong fortresses (of protection)."
"The wealth on which zakah is not paid, it will perish."
"Give zakah from your wealth as it purifies your wealth and purifies you."
"Zakah is the bridge of Islam."
"The completion of your Islam is that you pay zakah from your wealth."
Zakah was also obligatory on the followers of all the Prophets (peace be upon them), but its amount and the details of wealth were not as easy as in Islam. The rules for zakah in Islam are much easier.
In short, zakah is mentioned alongside prayer in the Qur'an more than any other act of worship, likely because prayer is a physical worship, while zakah is a financial worship. This is why both are often mentioned together. In this context, scholars have placed the book of zakah immediately after the book of prayer in their discussions, which further emphasizes the great virtue of zakah.
Rulings of Zakat 1. Definition of Zakah
The meaning of Zakah in the Arabic language is purification, blessing, and growth. In Islamic terms, Zakah is the obligation of giving a specific portion [This refers to the forty-fifth part of the wealth of someone who has had money for a year.] of one's wealth to a Muslim poor person [This condition is regarding the intention; i.e., intention is a prerequisite in Zakat, as it is required in acts of worship.] (who is neither a Sayyid [Since Zakat is meant to purify wealth, it should not be given to honorable people, but rather, serve them with good quality goods.] nor a lawful slave [Even if a person is emancipated.]), as determined by the Sharia [Meaning that a person's financial benefit becomes nullified when it comes to those dependent on them, such as parents, children, etc. In this case, Zakat should not be given to them because it would cause a conflict of interests.]. This act purifies the remaining wealth, brings blessings from Allah, increases wealth in this world, and in the Hereafter, Allah rewards tenfold or more for this act. This is why it is called Zakah.
Terms on this page
Related
- The conditions for a valid payment of zakat What makes an act of giving actually count as zakat: who can pay it, the intention it needs, and who it must reach.
- The ruling on zakat, and when it becomes obligatory Who zakat is obligatory on, what denying it means, and the eight conditions that must all be met before zakat is due.
- Who may receive zakat The seven categories entitled to zakat, who may never receive it, and the preferred order for choosing who to give it to.
- Why prayer matters What prayer (salah) is, why it stands before every other act of worship, what abandoning it costs, and the blessings it brings.