Zakat Nisab & Rules — Complete Reference

Q: What is the nisab for zakat in grams?

The gold nisab is 87.48 grams of pure gold and the silver nisab is 612.36 grams of silver. If your net zakatable wealth reaches either threshold (most scholars advise the lower silver one for mixed wealth) and a lunar year passes, zakat of 2.5% is due.

Q: What is the nisab in tola?

Since 1 tola equals 11.664 grams, the gold nisab of 87.48 g is about 7.5 tola and the silver nisab of 612.36 g is about 52.5 tola.

Q: What is the zakat rate?

For money, gold, silver, business goods and investments the rate is 2.5% (one-fortieth). Agricultural produce is 5% if irrigated artificially or 10% if rain-fed, and different rules apply to livestock and buried treasure.

Q: Who can receive zakat?

The Qur'an (9:60) names eight categories: the poor, the needy, zakat administrators, those whose hearts are to be reconciled, freeing slaves, those in debt, in the cause of Allah, and the stranded traveller.

A single, citeable reference for the zakat thresholds (nisab), rates by type of wealth, what counts as zakatable, and who may receive it. Bookmark or link to this page.

⚡ Want your figure calculated automatically? Use the free Zakat Calculator — it applies these thresholds and the 2.5% for you. New to the topic? Start with What is Zakat?

1. Nisab thresholds at a glance

Nisab is the minimum amount of wealth that makes zakat obligatory. It is defined by two precious-metal standards. Most contemporary scholars recommend the silver standard for mixed wealth (cash + gold + business), because its lower value means more people qualify — which benefits the poor.

Standard	Grams	Tola (South Asia)	Troy ounces	Mithqal
Gold nisab	87.48 g	≈ 7.5 tola	≈ 2.81 oz	20 mithqal
Silver nisab	612.36 g	≈ 52.5 tola	≈ 19.69 oz	200 dirham

Conversions used: 1 tola = 11.664 g; 1 troy ounce = 31.103 g. To find today's nisab in your currency, multiply the grams by the current per-gram price of gold or silver. Our Unit Converter handles tola ↔ grams.

2. Zakat rates by type of wealth

The familiar 2.5% applies to money and trade goods, but zakat has different rates for other categories of wealth:

Type of wealth	Zakat rate	Notes
Cash, bank balances, savings	2.5%	After one lunar year, if total ≥ nisab
Gold & silver	2.5%	By current market value
Business stock / trade goods	2.5%	Value of goods held for sale
Shares & investments	2.5%	On zakatable portion / market value
Agricultural produce (rain-fed)	10%	Due at harvest, no lunar-year wait
Agricultural produce (irrigated)	5%	Where watering involves cost/effort
Livestock (camels, cattle, sheep/goats)	Varies	Fixed scales by herd size
Buried treasure / mined minerals (rikaz)	20%	Due on discovery

3. What is and isn't zakatable

Zakatable ✅	Not zakatable ❌
Cash, bank & wallet balances	Your primary home
Gold and silver (incl. jewellery in Hanafi view)	Personal car and belongings
Business inventory for sale	Furniture, clothing, appliances
Shares, funds, receivable loans	Tools & equipment used to earn
Committee / BC money contributed	Money owed by you (deduct debts due)
Foreign currency (at today's rate)	Salary already spent on living costs

Read the detailed guides on zakat on savings & bank accounts and zakat on gold for worked examples.

4. The eight categories who may receive zakat

The Qur'an, Surah At-Tawbah (9:60), specifies exactly who is eligible:

#	Category (Arabic)	Meaning
1	Al-Fuqara	The poor with little or no income
2	Al-Masakin	The needy in hardship
3	Al-Amilin ‘alayha	Those employed to collect/administer zakat
4	Al-Mu'allafah qulubuhum	Those whose hearts are to be reconciled
5	Fir-Riqab	Freeing captives / those in bondage
6	Al-Gharimin	Those burdened by debt they cannot repay
7	Fi Sabilillah	In the cause of Allah
8	Ibn as-Sabil	The stranded traveller

Zakat generally may not be given to your own dependants you already support (parents, spouse, minor children), nor — in most views — to the wealthy.

5. Zakat al-Mal vs Zakat al-Fitr

	Zakat al-Mal (wealth)	Zakat al-Fitr (Fitrana)
What	Annual charity on wealth	Small charity per person before Eid
Rate/amount	2.5% of net wealth	≈ 2.5–3 kg of staple food (or its value) per head
When	After one lunar year on wealth ≥ nisab	Before Eid al-Fitr prayer
Who pays	Those who own ≥ nisab	Every Muslim who can, for each household member

This calculator and reference cover Zakat al-Mal. The two are separate obligations that often fall around the same time in Ramadan.

📚 Use this reference alongside: Zakat Calculator · What is Nisab? · Zakat on Savings · Zakat on Gold · اردو گائیڈ

Frequently asked questions

What is the nisab for zakat in grams?

Gold: 87.48 g; silver: 612.36 g. Reaching either threshold (silver advised for mixed wealth) with a lunar year passed makes 2.5% zakat due.

What is the nisab in tola?

About 7.5 tola of gold or 52.5 tola of silver (1 tola = 11.664 g).

What is the zakat rate?

2.5% for money, gold, silver, business goods and investments; 5% or 10% for crops; 20% for buried treasure; fixed scales for livestock.

Who can receive zakat?

The eight categories in Qur'an 9:60 — chiefly the poor and needy — not your own dependants or the wealthy.

Note: This is general educational reference, not a fatwa. Figures like the tola and ounce equivalents are standard, but rulings on jewellery, investments, livestock and debts differ between schools of thought. Confirm your specific case with a qualified scholar.