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The third pillar of Islam — the divine system of social justice
The Poor (Fuqara)
Those who cannot meet their basic needs.
The Needy (Masakin)
Those who have something but not enough to sustain themselves.
Zakat Collectors (Amilin)
Those who collect and distribute zakat.
Those Whose Hearts Are to Be Reconciled (Mu'allafa)
New Muslims or those who are sympathetic to Islam.
Those in Bondage (Riqab)
Those seeking to buy their freedom (historical).
Those in Debt (Gharimun)
Those who incurred debts for lawful purposes and cannot repay.
In the Way of Allah (Fi Sabilillah)
Those striving for the religion of Allah, including education and dawah activities.
Stranded Travelers (Ibn al-Sabil)
Travelers who have fallen into financial difficulty.
Wealth Zakat
Calculated from gold, silver, money, and trade goods reaching the nisab threshold. The rate is 2.5%.
Zakat al-Fitr (Fitrah)
Per-person charity given at the end of Ramadan. It is Sunnah to pay it before Eid prayer.
Livestock Zakat
Special rates apply to sheep, cattle, and camels exceeding specified numbers.
Zakat does not reduce wealth — it multiplies it. Giving ensures circulation, not hoarding; and circulation brings communal blessing.
Giving two and a half percent of wealth may seem small; yet this small amount is the foundation of the greatest social security system in human history.
In the Quran, prayer and zakat appear together almost always (82 times). This shows the inseparability of material and spiritual maturity.
Zakat is not a tax — it is a social covenant. It says: 'I am wealthy, but this wealth is not unrelated to others.' A religion that designed such a system 14 centuries ago still has something to say to the world today.