Zakat is one of the five pillars and is owed annually on wealth that has been held for a full Hijri year, once it reaches the threshold (nisab). The standard rate is 2.5% of the zakatable assets after debts.

Nisab — the threshold

Two standards are accepted:

  • Silver standard — approximately 595 grams of silver. This is the lower threshold and is what we use in the QiblaWeb calculator by default; it makes zakat reachable for more people, which most contemporary scholars prefer.
  • Gold standard — approximately 85 grams of gold.

What counts as zakatable

  • Cash and bank balances (after subtracting immediate debts).
  • Gold and silver, including jewellery (with some scholarly difference about regular-use jewellery).
  • Investments, shares, and tradable securities — typically the market value.
  • Business inventory at cost or market value.
  • Receivables you reasonably expect to receive.

What does not count

  • Your primary residence.
  • Personal-use vehicles, household furniture, and clothing.
  • Tools or machinery used in business operations (the inventory does, the equipment does not).

The QiblaWeb calculator

The zakat calculator sums these inputs in your browser and applies 2.5%. We never receive your numbers — there is no fetch() to our server in the calculator code path. For complex situations (corporations, investment property, personal debts), confirm with a qualified scholar.

Source

Summarised from IslamQA — Conditions of zakat (retrieved 2026-05-09).