Zakat Calculator، Compute Your Cash and Gold Zakat Accurately

Zakat is a pillar of Islam, and calculating it accurately is a religious duty. This interactive tool computes your zakat while accounting for the nisab threshold, the hawl (lunar year), and deductible debts.

Core Rules of Zakat

Zakat is due on every free, adult, sane Muslim who meets four conditions:

| Condition | Details | |---|---| | Full ownership | The wealth is yours and you can freely dispose of it | | Reaching the nisab | Your wealth is worth 85 grams of gold or more | | Completing the hawl | A full lunar year has passed since reaching the nisab | | Surplus beyond essential needs | Beyond what covers your basic living expenses |

Nisab، What Is the Threshold Today?

Gold nisab: 85 grams (20 mithqal) Silver nisab: 595 grams (200 shar'i dirhams)

In Saudi Riyal (approximate، moves with the market):

| Price per gram | Nisab in SAR | |---|---| | 250 SAR | 21,250 SAR | | 280 SAR | 23,800 SAR | | 300 SAR | 25,500 SAR | | 330 SAR | 28,050 SAR |

How to find the current price:

• Saudi bank websites (Al Ahli, Al Rajhi)
• Metals-pricing apps (Kitco / Gold Price)
• Local gold shops (they quote by karat at the day's rate)

Which Assets Are Zakatable?

1. Cash in All Forms

• Physical cash
• Bank accounts (current and savings)
• Investment transfers
• Foreign currencies at their current value

2. Gold and Silver

• Gold jewelry (disputed for pieces in regular use)
• Bullion
• Gold coins
• Vessels, if prohibited for use

3. Trade Goods

• Merchandise held for sale at market value
• Real estate listed for sale (not for residence)
• Business inventory

4. Receivables

• Debts owed by a solvent, acknowledging debtor
• Confirmed salary entitlements

5. Livestock (Camels, Cattle, Sheep), Crops, and Fruits

These follow separate rules distinct from the 2.5% rate. Consult fiqh references for the specifics.

What Is Not Zakatable?

• The family home (even a large one)
• Personal vehicles and daily necessities
• Furniture and personal clothing
• Rental property (zakat applies only to the rent collected)
• Tools of trade (workshop machinery, clinic equipment)

When Does the Hawl Begin?

From the day your wealth first crosses the nisab. For example:

• On 1 Muharram 1447 AH, your balance hit 30,000 SAR (above the nisab).
• Your zakat year begins on that date.
• On 1 Muharram 1448 AH (a full year later), you calculate zakat on your balance that day.

A simpler approach: many people pick a fixed hijri date every year (25 Ramadan, for instance) and settle zakat in one payment, even if some of the wealth has not quite completed its own hawl (paid as a precaution).

Worked Examples

Example 1: A Salaried Employee

• Monthly salary: 15,000 SAR
• Monthly savings: 5,000 SAR
• After one year: 60,000 SAR in the account

Zakat: 60,000 × 2.5% = 1,500 SAR

Example 2: Cash Plus Gold Minus Debt

• Bank balance: 40,000 SAR
• Gold owned: 50 grams (at 300 SAR/gram) = 15,000 SAR
• Debts owed: 10,000 SAR

Calculation:

• Assets: 40,000 + 15,000 = 55,000 SAR
• After debts: 55,000 − 10,000 = 45,000 SAR
• Above the nisab (25,500) → Zakat = 45,000 × 2.5% = 1,125 SAR

Example 3: A Shop Owner

• Bank balance: 20,000 SAR
• Inventory held for sale at cost: 150,000 SAR
• Business debts: 30,000 SAR

Calculation:

• Assets: 20,000 + 150,000 = 170,000 SAR
• After debts: 170,000 − 30,000 = 140,000 SAR
• Zakat = 140,000 × 2.5% = 3,500 SAR

Who Deserves Zakat?

The eight categories named in the verse: «إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ...»

"Zakat is only for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer it..." (Qur'an 9:60, Sahih International)

1. The poor، those without enough to cover their needs
2. The needy، those who have some but not all of their needs
3. Those employed to administer it، collectors and distributors of zakat
4. Those whose hearts are to be reconciled، to draw hearts toward Islam
5. Freeing captives، historically freeing slaves; today, ransoming Muslim prisoners
6. Debtors، those unable to repay what they owe
7. In the path of God، jihad and its associated causes
8. The wayfarer، a traveler cut off from their wealth

In Saudi Arabia, you can pay through:

• ZATCA (for companies)
• Approved charitable foundations (Ihsan, Al Rahma, Birr Al Walidayn)
• Eligible individuals directly (people you know and whose need you have verified)

Common Mistakes

1. Skipping zakat on jewelry worn for adornment The cautious Hanafi position pays it. Follow your school's ruling.

2. Delaying zakat without a valid reason Zakat is a debt due immediately once the hawl completes. Delay without a legitimate excuse is sinful.

3. Ignoring receivables Salaries owed to you before payday are part of your calculation.

4. Deducting all long-term debt at once Do not. Deduct only the installment due within the current year.

5. Assuming shares are exempt Shares are zakatable based on holding intent (trading or long-term dividends).

Sources

• Council of Senior Scholars, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA)
• IslamWeb، Zakat Fatwas
• Fiqh al-Zakat by Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi

Disclaimer: This tool is a working aid meant to simplify a standard case. For complex situations (large companies, investment funds, layered ownership), consult a qualified scholar or ZATCA directly.

Read also: Islamic and Saudi Occasions Countdown · Hijri–Gregorian Converter