The Obligatory Charity (Zakat)
What Zakat is, how much to give, when to give it, and who receives it.
A Duty Given Through Abraham
Zakat — the obligatory charity — is one of the four practical duties of
Submission, and like all of them it reached us through Abraham. The Quran tells us that
God gave the Contact Prayers (Salat) and the obligatory charity (Zakat) to Abraham and
his descendants:
[21:73] We made them imams who guided in accordance with Our commandments, and we taught them how to work righteousness, and how to observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) and the obligatory charity (Zakat). To us, they were devoted worshipers.
God pairs the Contact Prayers and Zakat throughout the Quran — the prayer nourishes
the soul, and the charity purifies it (9:103). One turns us toward God; the other turns us,
with open hands, toward His creatures.
How Much: 2.5% of Net Income
Zakat is a fixed, calculated portion — not a vague good intention. Whenever we
receive net income, we set aside 2.5% (one-fortieth) and give it away to
the specified recipients. It is calculated carefully and given on a regular basis, separate
from any government taxes we may owe.
When: On the Day You Receive Income
God specifies the timing in the same verse that gives the rite:
[6:141] …Eat from their fruits, and give the due alms on the day of harvest, and do not waste anything. He does not love the wasteful.
“The day of harvest” means the day the income comes in. For a farmer it is the
harvest; for us it is payday, or the day a profit or gift is received. Zakat is due then —
not deferred to one season of the year.
Who Receives It — In This Order
The recipients are named by God, and they are listed in order of priority:
[2:215] They ask you about giving: say, “The charity you give shall go to the parents, the relatives, the orphans, the poor, and the traveling alien.” Any good you do, God is fully aware thereof.
So the order is: (1) parents, (2) relatives, (3) orphans, (4) the poor, (5) the
traveling alien. We look first to those nearest to us who are in need, then outward.
The Quran also names additional worthy recipients — new believers, the freeing of those
in bondage, those burdened by sudden debt, and those working in the cause of God (9:60).
The Spirit of Giving
Give quietly
Charity is a matter between the giver and God alone — not a way to gain standing among
people:
[2:271] If you declare your charities, they are still good. But if you keep them anonymous, and give them to the poor, it is better for you, and remits more of your sins. God is fully Cognizant of everything you do.
Give in moderation
Zakat is a balance, never an extreme. We are not to be stingy, nor to give so much that we
leave ourselves in need:
[17:29] You shall not keep your hand stingily tied to your neck, nor shall you foolishly open it up, lest you end up blamed and sorry.
[25:67] When they give, they are neither extravagant, nor stingy; they give in moderation.
Give without fear
God promises that charity given for His sake is never a loss — it is repaid, in this
life and the next:
[2:274] Those who give to charity night and day, secretly and publicly, receive their recompense from their Lord; they will have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.
Beyond the Obligation
Zakat is the required minimum, not the ceiling. Alongside it, the believer gives freely
day to day — in money, in goods, in help, in a kind word — wherever a need is seen.
The obligatory charity anchors the habit; a generous heart carries it the rest of the way.
The Four Practical Duties
All four religious practices reached us through Abraham (21:73, 22:78). Explore each one:
Praise Be To God, Lord of the Universe.
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