What is ‘Zakat’
A term used in Islamic finance to refer to the obligation that an individual has to donate a certain proportion of wealth each year to charitable causes. Zakat is a mandatory process for Muslims in order to physically and spiritually purify their yearly earnings that are over and above what is required to provide the essential needs of a person or family.
Explaining ‘Zakat’
There are comprehensive descriptions in religious texts describing minimum amounts of zakat with regards to farm produce, cattle, business activities, paper currency and precious metals such as gold and silver.
The most common level of zakat on wealth from cash, equities and gold is 2.5% of the total value.
Further Reading
- A framework to analyse the efficiency and governance of zakat institutions – www.emerald.com [PDF]
- Zakat as a Measure of Social Justice in Islamic Finance: An Accountant's Overview – 103.8.145.246 [PDF]
- The influence of zakat on economic growth and welfare society in Indonesia – mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de [PDF]
- Zakat, taxes, and public finance in Islam – books.google.com [PDF]
