--- title: "What is Zakah? The Third Pillar of Islam Explained | HNCO" description: "Zakah (Zakat) is the third pillar of Islam — obligatory giving of 2.5% of qualifying wealth. Learn what it means, who pays, and how HNCO distributes your Zakah." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "NGO", "name": "Hajjah Naziha Organisation", "alternateName": "HNCO", "url": "https://hnco.org.uk", "logo": "https://hnco.org.uk/favicon.ico", "description": "HNCO is a UK non-profit organisation providing humanitarian aid worldwide — Zakat, Sadaqah, water wells, food parcels, orphan support and emergency relief.", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Nelson", "postalCode": "BB95FL", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "contactPoint": { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+44-1282-501998", "email": "info@hnco.org.uk", "contactType": "customer service" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is Zakah owed on income or savings?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Zakah is owed on qualifying savings and wealth held for a full lunar year above the Nisab threshold, not on income as it arrives." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I pay Zakah monthly?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Many donors estimate their annual Zakah and pay one twelfth each month, then reconcile on their Hawl anniversary." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do I owe Zakah on my home, car or pension?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Primary home, personal-use car and inaccessible workplace pensions are exempt. Investment property, gold, silver, shares, crypto and accessible SIPP/drawdown pensions are Zakatable." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the difference between Zakah and Sadaqah?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Zakah is obligatory: 2.5% of qualifying wealth, restricted to eight Qur'anic categories. Sadaqah is voluntary charity, any amount, to any good cause." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What happens if I miss a year of Zakah?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Missed Zakah remains owed. Calculate each missed year as accurately as you can and pay it as soon as possible." } } ] } ] --- We value your privacy We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience and analyse site traffic. You can accept all, reject non-essential, or customise your choice. Read our [Cookie Policy](/cookie-policy). CustomiseReject AllAccept All [![HNCO](/assets/hnco-logo-Dur1iGPW.png)](/) Locate Address: Nelson, BB95FL Call us any time: 01282501998 Email us any time: info@hnco.org.uk [My Donations](/my-donations) ☰ - About US - Appeals - Forever Donations - [Muharram](/muharram-2026) - [Shop](/shop) - [Deployments](/deployments) - [Volunteer](/volunteer) - [Contact Us](/contact-us) Search [♥ Donate Now](/donation) HNCO # Zakah, The Third Pillar Of Islam Zakah (Zakat) is the third pillar of Islam — obligatory giving of 2.5% of qualifying wealth. Learn what it means, who pays, and how HNCO distributes your Zakah. ### GIVE YOUR ZAKAH One TimeRecurring £50£100£250£500 or choose a custom amount £ Enter Special Requests ADD DONATION ## What Is Zakah? The Third Pillar Of Islam Zakah (also written Zakat) is the third of the Five Pillars of Islam, alongside the Shahadah (declaration of faith), Salah (daily prayer), Sawm (fasting in Ramadan) and Hajj (pilgrimage). The word Zakah comes from the Arabic root meaning “to purify” and “to grow” — by giving a fixed share of qualifying wealth each year, a Muslim purifies what remains and is promised barakah (blessing) in its place. Zakah is mentioned in the Qur’an over 80 times, almost always paired with Salah — a sign of how central it is to a believer’s practice. Allah says: “And establish prayer and give Zakah” (Qur’an 2:43). The eight categories of people eligible to receive Zakah are set out explicitly in Surah At-Tawbah: “Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect \[Zakah\] and for bringing hearts together \[for Islam\] and for freeing captives \[or slaves\] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the \[stranded\] traveler” (Qur’an 9:60). ## How Much Zakah Do I Pay? Zakah is fixed at **2.5% of qualifying wealth ** that has been held for one full lunar year (Hawl) above the Nisab threshold. It is not a tax on income — it is paid on net surplus wealth: savings, gold and silver, investments, accessible pensions, crypto holdings, business stock and money owed to you, minus immediate debts. The current UK Nisab (updated 2 June 2026) is **Gold: £8,436 ** and **Silver: £987 **. Most UK scholars and the National Zakat Foundation recommend using the Silver Nisab, because the lower threshold means more people qualify to give and more of the poor qualify to receive. Use our [free Zakat Calculator](/zakat/calculator) to work out your exact obligation in under two minutes. ## Who Must Pay Zakah? Zakah is obligatory (fard) on every Muslim who meets all of the following conditions: - **Muslim ** — Zakah is an act of worship and applies only to Muslims. - **Adult and of sound mind ** — most scholars hold this as a condition; the Hanafi school is strictest on this point. - **Owns wealth above the Nisab ** — surplus wealth that exceeds the gold or silver threshold. - **Hawl complete ** — the wealth has been continuously above Nisab for one lunar year. - **Full ownership ** — the wealth is yours, free of immediate debt and accessible to you. ## Zakah vs Sadaqah: What’s The Difference? Zakah is **obligatory ** giving — a precise 2.5% of qualifying wealth, owed annually, restricted to the eight categories named in Qur’an 9:60. Sadaqah is **voluntary ** charity — any amount, at any time, to any good cause. Sadaqah Jariyah (continuous charity) refers to ongoing acts such as building a [water pump](/water/water-pump-zakat) or contributing to a [masjid](/build-a-masjid) whose reward continues after death. You cannot substitute Sadaqah for Zakah, but giving Sadaqah on top of Zakah is highly encouraged. ## Where Does Your Zakah Go? HNCO operates a **100% Zakat Policy ** — every pound you give as Zakah is distributed strictly within the eight Qur’anic categories (9:60). We work in the UK, Pakistan, Bangladesh and across Africa, supporting widows, orphans, debtors, refugees and the long-term poor. See exactly [how your donations are spent](/how-donations-are-spent). ## Related: Zakat al-Fitr (Fitrana) Zakat al-Fitr, also called Fitrana, is a separate obligation paid by every member of the household before Eid al-Fitr prayer. It is **not ** the same as the annual 2.5% Zakah on wealth. Learn more about [Zakat al-Fitr (Fitrana)](/zakat/al-fitr). ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Is Zakah owed on income or savings? On savings and other qualifying wealth held for a full lunar year — not on monthly salary as it arrives. Once funds settle into your account and remain above Nisab for one Hawl, they are Zakatable. ### Can I pay Zakah monthly? Yes. Many UK donors estimate their annual Zakah and pay 1/12 each month. Reconcile against your exact figure on your Hawl anniversary. ### Do I owe Zakah on my home, car or pension? Your primary home, personal-use car and inaccessible workplace pension are not Zakatable. Investment property, gold/silver, shares, crypto and accessible (drawdown/SIPP) pensions are. ### What happens if I miss a year? Missed Zakah remains a debt to Allah and to the eligible recipients. Calculate as accurately as you can for each missed year and pay it as soon as possible. ### GIVE YOUR ZAKAH One TimeRecurring £50£100£250£500 or choose a custom amount £ Enter Special Requests ADD DONATION Continue exploring ## More in Zakat [ ### Zakat 2026 Read more → ](/zakat)[ ### Zakat Al-Fitr - Fitrana Read more → ](/zakat/al-fitr)[ ### Zakat Calculator 2026 Read more → ](/zakat/calculator)[ ### Zakat Calculator Mortgage Read more → ](/zakat/calculator/mortgage)[ ### Zakat Calculator Student Loans Read more → ](/zakat/calculator/student-loans)[ ### Zakat Calculator With a Loan Read more → ](/zakat/calculator/with-loan) ![HNCO](/assets/hnco-logo-white-CNXOXFiD.png) A UK non-profit organisation with a global outreach. Help where it's needed most. 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