Transparency
Our Methodology
This page explains exactly how we calculate zakat. Everything is open. Audit us.
Principles
Every rule is sourced
We cite Quran and Hadith for every calculation rule. You can see the source references inline on your results page.
Madhab differences are shown, not hidden
Where the four schools differ — nisab thresholds, debt deduction, gold jewelry — we show you all positions and apply the one you selected.
We calculate, not fatwa
GoAmanah implements established scholarly positions. We do not issue religious rulings. When scholars disagree, we apply the dominant or cautious view and note alternatives.
Open to audit
Our calculator source code is public on GitHub. This page is a human-readable version of what the code does. If you spot an error, open an issue.
Nisab Threshold
Zakat is only due if your total zakatable wealth meets the nisab — the minimum threshold below which no zakat is obligatory. The Prophet ﷺ established two nisab measures: one in gold, one in silver.
Gold Nisab
87.48g
of pure gold
Originally 20 gold dinars. Converted to grams by contemporary scholars.
Silver Nisab
612.36g
of pure silver
Originally 200 silver dirhams. Converted to grams by contemporary scholars.
Which nisab we apply, by madhab
Always silver nisab (612.36g)
Hanafi jurisprudence uses silver because it results in a lower threshold, making zakat obligatory on more wealth — which benefits more recipients.
Lower of gold or silver (in current practice)
Contemporary Maliki scholars recommend whichever nisab value is lower, typically silver, to maximise the zakat obligation.
Lower of gold or silver (in current practice)
Same contemporary position as Maliki.
Lower of gold or silver (in current practice)
Same contemporary position as Maliki.
Nisab values in your local currency are calculated using live metal prices at the time of calculation.
Asset Calculations
The standard zakat rate is 2.5% (1/40), established in the Sunnah. It applies uniformly across all asset types we calculate.
Cash & Bank Balances
2.5%All liquid cash — in hand, in current accounts, savings accounts, or any currency — is zakatable. All four madhabs agree. No adjustments for inflation or currency hedging.
Gold
2.5%Gold is valued at its pure (24k) equivalent. We convert karat to purity first: pure grams = total grams × (karat ÷ 24). We then multiply by today's spot price per gram of pure gold.
Silver
2.5%Silver is zakatable at 2.5% of market value. No karat adjustment is needed in our v1 input — we assume pure silver. Spot price is fetched on calculation day.
Stocks & Shares
2.5%We use the market value method (v1): zakat is calculated on the full current market value of all shareholdings, treating them as trade goods (ʿurūd al-tijārah). This is the contemporary default for passive investors. Other methods exist — asset-value method, zakatable-assets method — and will be noted in future versions.
Cryptocurrency
2.5%Contemporary scholars classify cryptocurrency as a digital asset analogous to trade goods (ʿurūd al-tijārah). Zakat is due at 2.5% of market value at the calculation date, provided nisab is met and one lunar year (hawl) has passed.
Debts Owed by You
This is the most significant area of madhab difference in our calculator. See the madhab comparison table below for full details.
Madhab Comparison
All four schools agree on the fundamental obligation of zakat and the 2.5% rate. They differ mainly on nisab selection and debt deduction.
| Topic | Hanafi | Maliki | Shafi'i | Hanbali |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zakat rate | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Nisab threshold | Silver always 612.36g | Lower of gold/silver usually silver | Lower of gold/silver usually silver | Lower of gold/silver usually silver |
| Debt deduction | Full deduction All debts deducted from zakatable wealth | Partial deduction Deducted only up to the point that would bring wealth below nisab | No deduction Debts do not reduce zakatable wealth | Partial deduction Same as Maliki: deducted up to nisab floor |
| Gold jewelry | Zakatable All gold including worn jewelry | Cautious: zakatable Dominant view — we apply this | Cautious: zakatable Dominant view — we apply this | Cautious: zakatable Dominant view — we apply this |
| Stocks method | Market value | Market value | Market value | Market value |
| Crypto | Trade goods (ʿurūd) | Trade goods (ʿurūd) | Trade goods (ʿurūd) | Trade goods (ʿurūd) |
What We Don't Cover (v1)
Disclaimer
GoAmanah v1 covers the most common asset types for urban Muslim households in Western countries. The following asset categories are not included in our current calculation and will not appear in your results:
- —Real estate: Investment properties, rental income. Complex — varies significantly by madhab and whether purchased for investment or personal use.
- —Livestock & agricultural produce: Not applicable to most urban households. Nisab and rates differ from monetary assets.
- —Business inventory & receivables: Business assets including stock-in-trade, trade receivables, and equipment. Planned for v2.
- —Pension & retirement funds: Scholarly opinion varies significantly. Some classify accessible pension funds as zakatable; others exempt locked-in funds. We will add this with clear position notes in v2.
- —Debts owed to you: Receivables — money others owe you. Different rules apply depending on likelihood of recovery and madhab. Planned for v2.
If you have significant wealth in these categories, consult a qualified Islamic scholar or your local mosque for a personalised ruling.
Key Sources
These are the primary scriptural and scholarly sources our calculator draws from. Hover over the citation badges in the calculator results to see the relevant text.
Al-Tawbah 9:103
“Take, [O Muhammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase… And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.”
Al-Baqarah 2:267
“O you who have believed, spend from the good things which you have earned and from that which We have produced for you from the earth…”
Al-Baqarah 2:43
“And establish prayer and give zakah and bow with those who bow [in worship and obedience].”
Al-Tawbah 9:60
“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 — an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 1454
“…For silver the Zakat is one-fortieth of the lot (i.e. 2.5%), and if its value is less than two-hundred Dirhams, Zakat is not required, but if the owner wants to pay he can.”
Sunan Ibn Majah 1791
“Ibn ʿUmar and ʿAishah narrated that: from every twenty Dinar or more, the Prophet ﷺ used to take half a Dinar and from forty Dinar, one Dinar.”
Sunan Abu Dawud 1558
“No sadaqah (zakat) is payable on less than five camels, on less than five ounces of silver and on less than five camel loads (wasq).”
Sunan Abu Dawud 1561
“Do you find in the Qur'an that one dirham is due on forty dirhams (as Zakat)? …You took it from us, from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
Sunan Abu Dawud 1562
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to order us to pay the sadaqah (zakat) on what we prepared for trade.”
Sunan Abu Dawud 1563
“A woman came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and she was accompanied by her daughter who wore two heavy gold bangles in her hands. He said to her: Do you pay zakat on them? She said: No. He then said: Are you pleased that Allah may put two bangles of fire on your hands?”
Sahih al-Bukhari 1395
“Islam is based on five principles: …To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity)…”
Hanafi — nisab (silver)
The Hanafi school uses silver nisab (200 dirhams, approximately 612.36g) as it results in a lower threshold, making zakat obligatory on more people, which benefits the poor more.
Maliki/Shafi'i/Hanbali — nisab choice
Contemporary scholars in these schools often recommend using whichever nisab is lower (usually silver) to benefit the poor, though the gold nisab is also accepted.
Hanafi — debt deduction
The Hanafi school holds that all debts are deducted from total zakatable wealth before determining whether nisab is met and before calculating zakat due.
Shafi'i — no debt deduction
The Shafi'i school holds that debts do not reduce zakatable wealth. If assets meet nisab, zakat is due on the full amount regardless of outstanding debts.
Maliki & Hanbali — partial debt deduction
Both schools permit deducting debts from non-apparent wealth (cash, gold, silver, trade goods) only up to the amount that would bring one below the nisab.
Crypto — trade goods (contemporary scholars)
Contemporary Islamic scholars classify cryptocurrency as a digital asset analogous to trade goods (ʿurūd al-tijārah). Zakat is due at 2.5% of market value.
Version History
April 2026 — Initial methodology
- — Cash, gold, silver, stocks, crypto
- — Four madhabs: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali
- — Nisab via live gold/silver spot prices
- — Madhab-specific debt deduction logic
- — Per-asset Quran and Hadith citations in results
Planned — Business assets & pensions
- — Business inventory and receivables
- — Pension and retirement fund handling
- — Debts owed to you (receivables)
- — Asset-value method for stocks
Fee Policy
We take 0% of your zakat
GoAmanah charges mosques a software subscription to operate the platform. We are not a charity intermediary. We do not take a cut of donations. Every euro you give goes directly to the mosque's bank account via Stripe.
Our revenue
Mosque software subscriptions
Your zakat
100% to the mosque, minus Stripe fees
Stripe processing
Standard card fees apply (~1.4% + €0.25 in the EU)
We never hold, pool, or invest your funds. The transfer is direct and immediate.
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