Zakat is due immediately upon your Zakat anniversary. If you’re not sure when this is or you’re paying for the first time, simply work out the day you first owned wealth over and above the Nisab threshold (if you don’t know the exact date you can estimate). Once you’ve paid your Zakat once this then becomes your Zakat anniversary.

Should I use the Islamic or Gregorian Calendar?

The Islamic calendar, known as the Hijri or lunar calendar, relies on moon cycles, while the Gregorian calendar, the world's most widespread calendar, follows Earth's solar orbit. These calendars differ in timekeeping methods, explaining why Islamic events, like Zakat anniversaries, are marked in the Islamic calendar.

The Islamic calendar consists of 12 lunar months, each lasting either 29 or 30 days, determined by moon sightings. This lunar year is approximately 10 to 12 days shorter than the Gregorian solar year with varying days per month. Consequently, Islamic months shift earlier in the Gregorian calendar each year, emphasising the use of the Islamic calendar for accuracy in calculating your Zakat.

What does Nisab mean and where can I find this?

Nisab is the minimum threshold of wealth that must be reached or exceeded for a person to be obligated to pay Zakat. In several Hadith, the Prophet (SAW) established certain minimum values for the different wealth and exempted anyone who owns less than the minimum from the payment of Zakat. However, once a person owns the minimum of any wealth, then the whole amount of that wealth becomes subject to Zakat. The amount of Nisab must be over and above what is required to satisfy the immediate basic needs of the payer, including family responsibilities and due debts.

Nisab values are updated everyday and you can find the information daily on our website here.