La Zakat, ou aumône légale, est l’un des cinq piliers de l’Islam, avec la prière, le jeûne, le pèlerinage (Hajj) et la foi en Allah (SWT) et en son messager, le prophète Muhammad (SAW). 

La Zakat correspond à 2,5 % de votre avoir total. Par conséquent, si vous possédez un avoir de 10 000 $ assujetti à la Zakat, vous devrez payer 250 $.

Nisab is the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to Zakat. The Nisab was set by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) at a rate equivalent to: 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver.

To know more about how to calculate the equivalent monetary value into your local currency, and which Nisab threshold to use (gold or silver), please read more here!

Hawl is the length of time that an individual must possess the wealth that they will pay Zakat on. In explanations of Zakat, Hawl means a lunar year and therefore, a hawl (lunar year) is approximately 354 days long.

The Zakat percentage remains 2.5% of eligible assets when calculated based on the lunar (Hijri) year. However, since the lunar year is 354 days, about 11 days shorter than the 365-day solar year, there is a slight adjustment to the Zakat percentage if using the Gregorian calendar to mark your annual Zakat term.

1. Lunar Year (Hijri) Zakat percentage: 2.5% – this is the standard percentage used in traditional Zakat calculations.
2. Solar Year (Gregorian) Zakat percentage: 2.577% – since the Gregorian year is longer, the equivalent percentage is slightly higher to maintain the same annual contribution.

If you are calculating Zakat based on the Gregorian year, you should use 2.577% instead of 2.5% to ensure an equivalent contribution over time. While this method is allowed by scholars, most scholars recommend using the Hijri calendar for Zakat calculations.

There are eight categories of people who are eligible to receive Zakat:

1. The poor
2. The needy
3. Administrators of Zakat
4. Those whose hearts have been recently reconciled
5. Those who have been enslaved
6. Those in debt
7. In the cause of God
8. Travellers (including refugees)

No, Zakat is only prescribed for Muslims.

Zakat al mal means zakat on wealth, which we commonly shorten to just Zakat.

The Qur'an commands Muslims to give zakat and describes who can receive it, but it does not specify the percentage. The rate of 2.5% comes from the teachings and practice of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (the Sunnah), and has been the scholarly consensus for centuries for savings and monetary wealth held for one lunar year. Other types of wealth, such as agricultural produce or livestock, have different zakat rates, which is why you may come across percentages other than 2.5%.

Zakat al mal means zakat on wealth, which we commonly shorten to just Zakat.

You must pay Zakat with the intention of paying it. It is important that you make an intention to give a donation as a Zakat payment.

Zakat is to be paid on the total savings regardless of what was paid on it in the past. Therefore, you would pay 2.5% of $10,000 = $250.

Pour chaque année où vous devez la Zakat, prenez 2,5 % de l’avoir total que vous possédiez à la fin de l’année et payez cette somme en Zakat. Si vous n’êtes pas sûr du montant de votre avoir, vous devez l’estimer au mieux. P. ex. : nous sommes maintenant au Ramadan 2024. Vous n’avez pas payé la Zakat au cours des 5 dernières années. Vous devez calculer le montant des avoirs que vous possédiez à chaque Ramadan au cours des cinq dernières années et payer 2,5 % de ce montant.

The majority of the scholars from the past favoured the opinion that it should be paid. This is the same for both the child and the insane person. Therefore, their guardian should take the Zakat from the person’s wealth and pay it on their behalf. However, some opinion suggest that it is not due on children and insane people, so please discuss with a scholar.

The best way for you to do this would be to take the jewellery to a jeweller and ask them to value just the gold and silver parts of the jewellery. The valuations they give will be the total on which you have to pay Zakat. Precious stones are not liable for Zakat.

Yes, it must be included.

Yes, as it is as if s/he is just storing your money.

If the money is paid back, then it is liable for Zakat (provided the lender meet other criteria for paying Zakat). However, if the money is not paid back, then the intention for lending would need to be reviewed. If the lender was fairly sure that s/he was not going to receive it back and s/he is unable to refer it to a judiciary, then in such cases Zakat is usually not payable. However, there are many variables and hence this question should be referred to a scholar.

The general answer would be yes, however we would strongly urge you to consult a scholar about this.

Pendant la période où vous avez loué la maison et n’aviez pas l’intention de la vendre, vous ne payez pas la Zakat sur la maison. Mais vous devrez quand même payer la Zakat sur les loyers que vous avez gagnés, comme sur tout autre avoir que vous possédez. Vous devez payer la Zakat après une année lunaire à compter du jour où vous avez eu l’intention de vendre la maison. Vous devez également payer la Zakat sur le prix de vente de la maison. Toutefois, si vous payez à l’avance, vous devrez estimer le montant. Vous êtes tenu de faire de même pour chaque année suivante au cours de laquelle la maison est toujours en vente. Mais pour plus de clarté, nous vous invitons à discuter de cette question avec un théologien de l’Islam.

Every year at the time of paying Zakat, you would need to calculate the total selling price for all the goods for sale in your shop. E.g. All the clothes for sale in your shop add up to a total selling value of a particular sum of money. You would add this to your other wealth when calculating your total payment.

Abiding by our scholar verified Zakat policy, Islamic Relief uses Zakat funds for Zakat eligible purposes as defined in the eight categories of Zakat. Islamic Relief identifies those well below Nisab and mainly allocates Zakat funds to category 1, Fuqara & Masakin (the poor and needy).

Zakat funds reach the poor and needy through cash transfers, food, shelter, education, and livelihood support, providing rights-holders the means of ownership and a chance to uplift themselves from poverty. 

Pour en savoir plus sur la politique de la Zakat d’Islamic Relief Canada,  cliquez ici..

We assist people with Zakat funds in Canada and overseas, as long as they qualify for it.