How is Zakat calculated?

Zakat is 2.5% of qualifying net wealth held continuously above the Nisab threshold for one Hijri (lunar) year. Net wealth = cash + savings + gold + silver + business stock + receivables + investments, minus immediate debts. Nisab = the value of 85g of gold or 595g of silver — most scholars use the lower (silver) Nisab to maximise zakat eligibility.

How are Islamic inheritance shares (Faraid) calculated?

After deducting funeral expenses, debts, owed zakat, unpaid mahr and any wasiyyah (capped at 1/3 of the remainder), the estate is distributed according to the fixed shares (furud) in Surah an-Nisa 4:11, 4:12 and 4:176, with the residue going to the asabah (residuary heirs). Awl (proportional reduction) and radd (return to sharers) are applied automatically when the fractions exceed or fall short of unity.

Does the calculator support all four Sunni schools?

Yes — the Faraid engine supports Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali rulesets and shows the per-school differences (dhawu al-arham eligibility, grandmother's share under conflicting paternal/maternal lines, jadd-and-siblings cases). A blended Ja'fari (Twelver Shia) mode is also available — it keeps the Sunni fixed-share + radd framework while applying the most widely-cited Ja'fari distinction that distant agnates (paternal uncle, paternal cousin, paternal grandfather as residuary) do not take the residue when nearer female kindred (daughters, granddaughters, full sisters) survive.

What is the 1/3 limit on a wasiyyah (Islamic will)?

A Muslim may bequeath up to 1/3 of the estate to non-heirs — established by the hadith of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas (Sahih al-Bukhari 2742 / Sahih Muslim 1628). A bequest to a Quranic heir is invalid unless ratified by the other heirs (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2120). The remaining 2/3 of the estate is distributed by the fixed faraid shares.

What is the Nisab and which one should I use — gold or silver?

Nisab is the minimum wealth threshold at which Zakat becomes obligatory. It equals the value of 85g of gold (gold Nisab) or 595g of silver (silver Nisab). The two are not the same monetary amount today — silver Nisab is far lower. The majority opinion (Jumhur, including Hanafi) is to use the silver Nisab so that more wealth qualifies and more recipients benefit.

Do you store my financial information?

No. Zakat International runs all calculations in your browser. Your asset breakdowns, heir lists, debts, witness names, executor details, bank account references and password hints are never transmitted to our servers. The only outbound network calls are: (1) live gold/silver spot prices via a backend proxy, (2) optional IP-based country auto-detect via a backend proxy, and (3) optional AI-advisor explanation relayed to Claude Sonnet 4.5 — none of these carry any user-entered estate data.

Is the Faraid engine deterministic or AI-based?

The math is 100% deterministic JavaScript — no AI/LLM runs the inheritance calculation. AI (Claude Sonnet 4.5) is used only as an optional plain-language advisor to explain each share. The engine implements the classical rulings of awl, radd, hajb hirman, hajb nuqsan, al-'Umariyyatain (the two Umari cases), and the al-mu'addah / al-akdariyya / al-mubahaala edge cases per madhhab.

What languages does the calculator support?

Twelve languages: English, Arabic (full RTL), Urdu (RTL), French, Malay (Bahasa Melayu), Turkish, Russian, Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), and Farsi/Persian (RTL). PDF certificates are bilingual where applicable and respect right-to-left reading direction for Arabic, Urdu and Farsi output.

Who inherits in Islam from a deceased Muslim?

Three categories: (1) Ashab al-Furud — fixed-share heirs (spouse, parents, daughters, certain siblings, grandmother); (2) Asabah — agnatic residuary heirs (sons, paternal brothers, paternal uncles, paternal cousins); (3) Dhawu al-Arham — distant kindred who inherit only if neither category 1 nor 2 is available. The Shafi'i and classical Maliki schools do not recognise category 3; in those schools the estate goes to the Bayt al-Mal (public treasury) instead.

Are children always heirs in Islam?

Yes. Sons and daughters are primary fixed-share and residuary heirs and can never be excluded from inheritance by the parent's wasiyyah — the so-called 'disinheritance of children' is invalid in classical Islamic law. Sons receive twice the daughter's share when both are present (Qur'an 4:11). The only natural 'exclusion' is hajb, where closer kin exclude more distant kin (e.g. a son excludes a grandson via that son). Orphaned grandchildren whose parent predeceased the grandparent traditionally did not inherit; modern personal-status codes in Egypt (Law 71/1946), Morocco (Mudawana art. 369–372), Algeria, Tunisia, Jordan, Palestine, Libya, Sudan and others now mandate a Wajib Wasiyyah (compulsory bequest) for them up to the 1/3 cap.

What are women's inheritance rights in Islam?

Women inherit as daughters (1/2 alone, 2/3 if multiple, 1/2 of a son's share when males co-exist — Qur'an 4:11), as mothers (1/3 normally, 1/6 with children, 1/3 of remainder in the al-Umariyyatain case), as wives (1/8 with children, 1/4 without), as full sisters (per kalālah rules in Qur'an 4:176), and grandmothers (1/6 collectively). Unpaid mahr (dower) is a priority debt of the estate that ranks ahead of all heirs and even the wasiyyah. Women's shares are constitutionally protected — a Muslim man cannot bequeath his wealth in a way that disinherits or reduces his female heirs.

Is the partition of the family estate after a death obligatory in Islam?

Yes. Distribution of inheritance per the Quranic shares is a binding obligation, not a recommendation. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 'Learn the laws of inheritance and teach them to the people, for they are half of useful knowledge — and they are the first thing forgotten and the first thing taken away from my Ummah' (Sunan Ibn Majah 2719). Delaying partition is one of the most common causes of disputes between Muslim siblings, and is religiously discouraged. Zakat International gives the family a deterministic, scholar-anchored partition plan within minutes.

Is writing a will (Wasiyyah) obligatory in Islam?

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 'It is not permissible for any Muslim who has something to bequeath to stay for two nights without having his last will and testament written and kept ready with him' (Sahih al-Bukhari 2738, Sahih Muslim 1627). Classical scholars hold this as at minimum strongly recommended (mustahabb), and obligatory (wajib) for anyone with unsettled debts, an unpaid mahr, a custodial relationship over minors, or assets in a non-Muslim civil-law jurisdiction whose default probate rules would not produce the Sharia-compliant distribution.

Do orphaned grandchildren inherit in Islam?

Under classical Sunni rules, orphaned grandchildren are excluded by their living uncles (hajb). Many modern personal-status codes have legislated a Wajib Wasiyyah (compulsory bequest) in their favour — the grandparent's estate must include a notional bequest up to what the deceased parent would have inherited, capped at 1/3. This is codified in Egypt (Law 71/1946 art. 76), Morocco (Mudawana art. 369–372), Algeria (Family Code art. 169–172), Tunisia (CSP art. 191 bis), Jordan (Personal Status Law art. 279), Palestine, Libya, Sudan and Mauritania. Zakat International applies the Wajib Wasiyyah automatically when the user selects one of these jurisdictions.

How many countries does Zakat International support?

95 countries across MENA, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, Europe (Western, Nordic, Balkans), Russia, the Americas and East Asia. Each country has a dedicated legal-guidance page with statutory citations, will formality requirements, registration office, witness rules and the recognised fatwa authority. The full list and direct deep-links are at https://zakat.international/legal.

What is the correct order of deductions before distributing the estate?

(1) Funeral expenses, (2) outstanding debts including owed Zakat and unpaid Mahr, (3) the wasiyyah (capped at 1/3 of the post-debt remainder), and finally (4) the faraid shares distributed to legal heirs per the Quranic verses. This ordering is the established consensus across all four Sunni schools.

Can I write a will that gives more than 1/3 to charity or a specific heir?

No. The wasiyyah cap of 1/3 is a binding limit established by the hadith of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas (Bukhari 2742). The remaining 2/3 must follow the Quranic faraid shares. Any bequest exceeding 1/3 or naming a Quranic heir is invalid unless the other heirs explicitly consent after the death — never before.

Is Zakat calculated on income or wealth?

On WEALTH held for a full lunar year (hawl), not on income. Employees do not owe Zakat on their monthly salary as it arrives — they owe Zakat on whatever remains after a full lunar year passes above the nisab threshold.

Is Zakat due on gold jewellery I actually wear?

Scholarly opinion is split. The Hanafi school says YES on all gold above nisab regardless of use. The Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools traditionally exempt jewellery worn regularly as adornment. Most contemporary councils recommend paying Zakat on all gold above nisab out of caution.

Do I pay Zakat on crypto?

Yes. Contemporary Islamic finance councils (AAOIFI, several national fatwa councils) treat major cryptocurrencies as zakatable stores of value. Calculate at spot price on your hawl anniversary date and apply 2.5%.

What if I have debts?

Deduct debts that are DUE within the next 12 months. Do not deduct long-term liabilities like mortgages — otherwise almost no homeowner would ever owe Zakat, which contradicts consensus.

When should I pay Zakat?

On your hawl anniversary date each year. Many Muslims choose Ramadan to maximise reward, but the OBLIGATION is fulfilled by paying on any day AFTER the hawl completes.

How to Calculate Zakat (2026) — Step-by-Step Guide for Every Asset Type

A no-jargon walkthrough of nisab, hawl, and 2.5% — for salaried workers, business owners, landlords, farmers, and freelancers.

What is Zakat?

Zakat is the third pillar of Islam — an obligatory annual charity of 2.5% of qualifying wealth, paid by every adult Muslim whose net wealth exceeds the nisab threshold and has been held for a full lunar year (hawl). Unlike voluntary sadaqah, Zakat is a right that the poor have on the wealthy (Quran 9:60).

Step 1: Determine your Zakat anniversary (hawl)

The hawl is the 12-month lunar (Hijri) cycle during which your wealth must have remained at or above the nisab. Most people pick a fixed Hijri date — commonly 1 Ramadan or 1 Muharram — and calculate Zakat on that same date every year. You do not need to track when each individual asset was acquired, only whether the total exceeds nisab for a full year.

Step 2: Check whether you meet nisab

Nisab is the minimum wealth threshold below which Zakat is not due. Two classical benchmarks are used: 87.48 g of pure gold (~USD 7,000 in 2026 depending on spot price) or 612.36 g of pure silver (~USD 470). Contemporary scholars overwhelmingly recommend the silver nisab for lay Muslims — it is lower and therefore captures more surplus wealth for the poor, in line with the spirit of the obligation.

Step 3: Add up your zakatable assets

Zakat applies to: (a) cash in hand and in bank accounts; (b) gold and silver in any form including jewellery held as investment; (c) trade goods and business inventory at market value; (d) stocks, bonds, mutual funds; (e) receivables you reasonably expect to collect; (f) crypto (major scholars agree — value at spot on your hawl date). Not zakatable: your primary residence, your car, personal clothing and household items, tools of your trade, and money genuinely set aside for immediate consumption expenses.

Step 4: Subtract short-term liabilities

Deduct debts that are DUE within the next 12 months — this month's credit card bill, this year's tax owed, immediate loan repayments. Do NOT deduct long-term liabilities like a 30-year mortgage; scholars agree that would erase Zakat for the vast majority of homeowners and violates the spirit of the obligation. If you owe a very large sum settling within the year (e.g. a business loan due), consult a scholar for the correct treatment.

Step 5: Multiply by 2.5%

Zakat = (Total zakatable assets − short-term liabilities) × 2.5%. Example: net zakatable wealth of $50,000 → Zakat due = $1,250. Round up rather than down; the Prophet ﷺ said "wealth is not decreased by charity" (Sahih Muslim 2588).

Step 6: Distribute to the eight categories

Quran 9:60 names eight eligible categories: the poor (fuqara), the destitute (masakin), Zakat collectors, those whose hearts are being reconciled to Islam, freeing captives, debtors, in the path of Allah, and stranded travellers. You may give to one or several categories in the same year; you do NOT need to divide equally. Verify recipient organisations are shariah-compliant and audited.

Common mistakes to avoid

(1) Not counting gold jewellery held for storage of value. (2) Deducting the full mortgage balance. (3) Using cost-basis instead of market value for stocks/inventory. (4) Missing crypto holdings. (5) Treating pension/superannuation as zakatable BEFORE you can access it — most scholars say it is only zakatable once vested and withdrawable. Use our free Zakat calculator to walk through all these edge cases in your local currency.

How to Calculate Zakat: The Complete 2026 Step-by-Step Guide