Zakat

The Quran discusses charity in many verses, some of which relate to zakat. The word zakat, with the meaning used in Islam now, is found, for example, in suras: 7:156, 9:60, 19:31, 19:55, 21:73, 23:4, 27:3, 30:39, 31:4, and 41:7.[28][29] Zakat is found in the early Medinan suras and described as obligatory for Muslims.[27] It is given for the sake of salvation. Muslims believe those who give zakat can expect reward from God in the afterlife, while neglecting to give zakat can result in damnation. Zakat is considered part of the covenant between God and a Muslim.[27]

Verse 2.177 (Picktall translation) sums up the Quranic view of charity and almsgiving (another name for zakat is the poor due):

It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the Prophets; and giveth his wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the God fearing. – 2:177

According to Yusuf al-Qaradawi, verse 9.5 of the Quran makes zakat one of three prerequisites for pagans to become Muslims: "but if they repent, establish prayers, and practice zakat they are your brethren in faith".[7]

The Quran also lists who should receive the benefits of zakat, discussed in more detail below.[30]

Each of the most trusted hadith collections in Islam have a book dedicated to zakat. Sahih Bukhari's Book 24,[31][32] Sahih Muslim's Book 12,[33][34] and Sunan Abu-Dawud's Book 9[35][36] discuss various aspects of zakat, including who must pay, how much, when and what. The 2.5% rate is also mentioned in the hadiths.[37]

The hadiths admonish those who do not give the zakat. According to the hadith, refusal to pay or mockery of those who pay zakat is a sign of hypocrisy, and God will not accept the prayers of such people.[38][39] The sunna also describes God's punishment for those who refuse or fail to pay zakat.[40] On the day of Judgment, those who did not give the zakat will be held accountable and punished.[30]

The hadith contain advice on the state-authorized collection of the zakat. The collectors are required not to take more than what is due, and those who are paying the zakat are asked not to evade payment. The hadith also warn of punishment for those who take zakat when they are not eligible to receive it (see Distribution below).[30]

The amount of zakat to be paid by an individual depends on the amount of money and the type of assets the individual possesses. The Quran does not provide specific guidelines on which types of wealth are taxable under the zakat, nor does it specify percentages to be given. However, it clearly indicates to donate the "surplus" of one's income. But the customary practice in the Islamic world has been that the amount of zakat paid on capital assets (e.g. money) is 2.5% (1⁄40).[41] Zakat is additionally payable on agricultural goods, precious metals, minerals, and livestock at a rate varying between 2.5% and 20% (1/5), depending on the type of goods.[42][43]

Zakat is usually payable on assets continuously owned over one lunar year that are in excess of the nisab, a minimum monetary value.[44] However, Islamic scholars have disagreed on this issue. For example, Abu Hanifa did not regard the nisab limit to be a pre-requisite for zakat, in the case of land crops, fruits and minerals.[45] Other differences between Islamic scholars on zakat and nisab are acknowledged as follows by Yusuf al-Qaradawi,[16]

Unlike prayers, we observe that even the ratio, the exemption, the kinds of wealth that are zakatable are subject to differences among scholars. Such differences have serious implications for Muslims at large when it comes to their application of the Islamic obligation of zakat. For example, some scholars consider the wealth of children and insane individuals zakatable, others don't. Some scholars consider all agricultural products zakatable, others restrict zakat to specific kinds only. Some consider debts zakatable, others don't. Similar differences exist for business assets and women's jewelry. Some require certain minimum (nisab) for zakatability, some don't. etc. The same kind of differences also exist about the disbursement of zakat.
 – Shiekh Mahmud Shaltut[16]

A slot for giving zakat at the Zaouia Moulay Idriss II in Fez, Morocco[46]

The consequence of failure to pay zakat has been a subject of extensive legal debate in traditional Islamic jurisprudence, particularly when a Muslim is willing to pay zakat but refuses to pay it to a certain group or the state.[47][48] According to classical jurists, if the collector is unjust in the collection of zakat but just in its distribution, the concealment of property from him is allowed.[47] If, on the other hand, the collector is just in the collection but unjust in the distribution, the concealment of property from him is an obligation (wajib).[47] Furthermore, if the zakat is concealed from a just collector because the property owner wanted to pay his zakat to the poor himself, they held that he should not be punished for it.[47] If collection of zakat by force was not possible, use of military force to extract it was seen as justified, as was done by Abu Bakr during the Ridda Wars, on the argument that refusing to submit to just orders is a form of treason.[47] However, Abu Hanifa, the founder of the Hanafi school, disapproved of fighting when the property owners undertake to distribute the zakat to the poor themselves.[47]

Some classical jurists held the view that any Muslim who consciously refuses to pay zakat is an apostate, since the failure to believe that it is a religious duty (fard) is a form of unbelief (kufr), and should be killed.[49][50][51] However, prevailing opinion among classical jurists prescribed sanctions such as fines, imprisonment or corporal punishment.[47] Some classical and contemporary scholars such as Ishaq Ibn Rahwayh and Yusuf al-Qaradawi have stated that the person who fails to pay Zakat should have the payment taken from them, along with half of his wealth.[52] Additionally, those who failed to pay the zakat would face God's punishment in the afterlife on the day of Judgment.[30]

In modern states where zakat payment is compulsory, failure to pay is regulated by state law similarly to tax evasion.

According to the Quran's Surah Al-Tawba, there are eight categories of people (asnaf) who qualify to benefit from zakat funds.[53]

Alms-tax is only for the poor and the needy, for those employed to administer it, for those whose hearts are attracted ˹to the faith˺, for ˹freeing˺ slaves, for those in debt, for Allah’s cause, and for ˹needy˺ travellers. ˹This is˺ an obligation from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

— Surah At-Tawbah 9:60

Islamic scholars have traditionally interpreted this verse as identifying the following eight categories of Muslim causes to be the proper recipients of zakat:[54][55]

1. Those living without means of livelihood (Al-Fuqarā'),[54] the poor[55]
2. Those who cannot meet their basic needs (Al-Masākīn),[54] the needy[55]
3. To zakat collectors (Al-Āmilīyn 'Alihā)[54][55]
4. To persuade those sympathetic to or expected to convert to Islam (Al-Mu'allafatu Qulūbuhum),[54] recent converts to Islam,[53][55][56] and potential allies in the cause of Islam[55][57]
5. To free from slavery or servitude (Fir-Riqāb),[54] slaves of Muslims who have or intend to free from their master by means of a kitabah contract[55][57]
6. Those who have incurred overwhelming debts while attempting to satisfy their basic needs (Al-Ghārimīn),[54] debtors who in pursuit of a worthy goal incurred a debt[55]
7. Those fighting for a religious cause or a cause of God (Fī Sabīlillāh),[54] or for Jihad in the way of Allah by means of pen, word, or sword,[58] or for Islamic warriors who fight against the unbelievers but are not salaried soldiers.[55][57][59]^: h8.17
8. Wayfarers, stranded travellers (Ibnu Al-Sabīl),[54] travellers who are traveling with a worthy goal but cannot reach their destination without financial assistance[55][57]

Zakat should not be given to one's own parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, spouses or the descendants of Muhammad.[60]

Neither the Quran nor the Hadiths specify the relative division of zakat into the above eight categories.[61] According to the Reliance of the Traveller, the Shafi'i school requires zakat is to be distributed equally among the eight categories of recipients, while the Hanafi school permits zakat to be distributed to all the categories, some of them, or just one of them.[59]^: h8.7 Classical schools of Islamic law, including Shafi'i, are unanimous that collectors of zakat are to be paid first, with the balance to be distributed equally amongst the remaining seven categories of recipients, even in cases where one group's need is more demanding.

Muslim scholars disagree whether zakat recipients can include non-Muslims. Islamic scholarship, historically, has taught that only Muslims can be recipients of zakat.[62] In recent times, some state that zakat may be paid to non-Muslims after the needs of Muslims have been met, finding nothing in the Quran or sunna to indicate that zakat should be paid to Muslims only.[60]

Additionally, the zakat funds may be spent on the administration of a centralized zakat collection system.[41] Representatives of the Salafi movement include propagation of Islam and any struggle in righteous cause among permissible ways of spending, while others argue that zakat funds should be spent on social welfare and economic development projects, or science and technology education.[60] Some hold spending them for defense to be permissible if a Muslim country is under attack.[60] Also, it is forbidden to disburse zakat funds into investments instead of being given to one of the above eight categories of recipients.[63]

The zakat is considered by Muslims to be an act of piety through which one expresses concern for the well-being of fellow Muslims,[56] as well as preserving social harmony between the wealthy and the poor.[64] Zakat promotes a more equitable redistribution of wealth and fosters a sense of solidarity amongst members of the Ummah.[65]

Country	Status
Afghanistan	Voluntary
Algeria	Voluntary
Azerbaijan	Voluntary
Bahrain	Regulated by the state, but contributions are voluntary
Bangladesh	Regulated by the state, but contributions are voluntary
Burkina Faso	Voluntary
Chad	Voluntary
Egypt	Regulated by the state, but contributions are voluntary
Guinea	Voluntary
Indonesia	Regulated by the state, but contributions are voluntary
Iran	Regulated by the state, but contributions are voluntary
Iraq	Voluntary
Jordan	Regulated by the state, but contributions are voluntary
Kazakhstan	Voluntary
Kuwait	Regulated by the state, but contributions are voluntary
Lebanon	Regulated by the state, but contributions are voluntary
Libya	Mandatory
Malaysia	Mandatory
Maldives	Regulated by the state, but contributions are voluntary
Mali	Voluntary
Mauritania	Voluntary
Morocco	Voluntary
Niger	Voluntary
Nigeria	Voluntary
Oman	Voluntary
Pakistan	Mandatory
Qatar	Voluntary
Saudi Arabia	Mandatory
Senegal	Voluntary
Sierra Leone	Voluntary
Somalia	Voluntary
Sudan	Mandatory
Syria	Voluntary
Tajikistan	Voluntary
Gambia	Voluntary
Tunisia	Voluntary
Turkey	Voluntary
Turkmenistan	Voluntary
United Arab Emirates	Regulated by the state, but contributions are voluntary
Uzbekistan	Voluntary
Yemen	Mandatory

[79]

Zakat donation box at Taipei Grand Mosque in Taipei, Taiwan

Today, in most Muslim countries, Zakat is at the discretion of Muslims over how and whether to pay, typically enforced by fear of God, peer pressure and an individual's personal feelings.[17] Among the Sunni Muslims, Zakat committees, linked to a religious cause or local mosque, collect zakat.[81] Among the Shia Muslims, deputies on behalf of Imams collect the zakat.[82]

In six of the 47 Muslim-majority countries—Libya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen—zakat is obligatory and collected by the state.[17][18][83][84] In Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Bangladesh, the zakat is regulated by the state, but contributions are voluntary.[85]

The states where Zakat is compulsory differ in their definition of the base for zakat computation.[83] Zakat is generally levied on livestock (except in Pakistan) and agricultural produce, although the types of taxable livestock and produce differ from country to country.[83] Zakat is imposed on cash and precious metals in four countries with different methods of assessment.[83] Income is subject to zakat in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, while only Sudan imposes zakat on "wealth that yields income".[83] In Pakistan, property is exempt from the zakat calculation basis, and the compulsory zakat is primarily collected from the agriculture sector.[78]

Under compulsory systems of zakat tax collection, such as Malaysia and Pakistan, evasion is very common and the zakat (alms tax) is regressive.[17] A considerable number of Muslims accept their duty to pay zakat, but deny that the state has a right to levy it, and they may pay zakat voluntarily while evading official collection.[83] In discretion-based systems of collection, studies suggest zakat is collected from and paid only by a fraction of Muslim population who can pay.[17]

In the United Kingdom, which has a Muslim minority, more than three out of ten Muslims gave to charity (Zakat being described as "the Muslim practice of charitable donations"), according to a 2013 poll of 4000 people.[86] According to the self-reported poll, British Muslims, on average, gave US$567 to charity in 2013, compared to $412 for Jews, $308 for Protestants, $272 for Catholics and $177 for atheists.[86]

The primary sources of sharia also do not specify to whom the zakat should be paid – to zakat collectors claiming to represent one class of zakat beneficiary (for example, poor), collectors who were representing religious bodies, or collectors representing the Islamic state.[61][87] This has caused significant conflicts and allegations of zakat abuse within the Islamic community, both historically[61] and in modern times.[88]

Fi Sabillillah is the most prominent asnaf in Southeast Asian Muslim societies, where it broadly construed to include funding missionary work, Quranic schools and anything else that serves the Islamic community (ummah) in general.[89]

In 2012, Islamic financial analysts estimated annual zakat spending exceeded US$200 billion per year, which they estimated to be 15 times more than provided by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.[90][91] Islamic scholars and development workers state that much of this zakat practice is mismanaged, wasted or ineffective.[90] About a quarter of the Muslim world[92] continues to live on $1.25 a day or less, according to the 2012 report.[90]

A 1999 study of Sudan and Pakistan, where zakat is mandated by the state, estimated that zakat proceeds ranged between 0.3 and 0.5 percent of GDP, while a more recent report put zakat proceeds in Malaysia at 0.1% of GDP.[83] These numbers are far below what was expected when the governments of these countries tried to Islamize their economies, and the collected amount is too small to have a sizeable macroeconomic effect.[83]

In a 2014 study,[93] Nasim Shirazi states widespread poverty persists in Islamic world despite zakat collections every year. Over 70% of the Muslim population in most Muslim countries is impoverished and lives on less than US$2 per day. In over 10 Muslim-majority countries, over 50% of the population lived on less than $1.25 per day income, states Shirazi.[93] Zakat has so far failed to relieve large scale absolute poverty among Muslims in most Muslim countries.[93]

Zakat al-Fitr or Sadaqat al-Fitr[105] is another, smaller charitable obligation, mandatory for all Muslims—male or female, minor or adult as long as he/she has the means to do so—that is traditionally paid at the end of the fasting in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.[106][107] The collected amount is used to pay the zakat collectors and to the poor Muslims so that they may be provided with a means to celebrate 'Eid al-Fitr (the festival of breaking the fast) following Ramadan, along with the rest of the Muslims.[108]

Zakat al-Fitr is a fixed amount assessed per person, while Zakat al mal is based on personal income and property.[107] According to one source, the Hidaya Foundation, the suggested Zakat al Fitr donation is based on the price of 1 Saa (approx. 3 kg) of rice or wheat at local costs, (as of 2015, approximately $7.00 in the U.S.).[105]

• P. Bearman ed. (2012). Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd ed. Brill Online.
• Joseph J. Cordes, Robert D. Ebel, Jane Gravelle ed. (2005). Encyclopedia of Taxation and Tax Policy. Urban Institute
• John L. Esposito ed. (2009). The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World. Oxford University Press.
• Hunter, Shireen; Malik, Huma; Senturk, Recep (2005). Islam and Human Rights: Advancing a U.S.–Muslim Dialogue. Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2005.