Some of the questions addressed to BAYTULHUDA The House of Guidance and answered by his Eminence Sheikh Tammam Ahmad may Allah protect him.
1. How is Zakat collected and calculated? Can Zakat be paid to the family members?
The answer: Zakat is paid based on the type of wealth that a person intends to purify. Zakat is obligatory on nine things: gold, silver, camels, cows, sheep, wheat, barley, dates, and raisins. For each type, there exists a specific threshold, a predetermined amount. Once this threshold is reached, Zakat must be paid.
Regarding zakat on money (gold and silver), it becomes obligatory when two conditions are met: reaching the threshold and one lunar year passing while maintaining that amount. The threshold for gold is twenty dinars, and its Zakat is two and a half percent.
Once it reaches twenty-four dinars, the Zakat remains at two and a half percent. For every additional four dinars, Zakat is due. The value of one dinar is equivalent to 4.25 grams of gold, and its value is determined based on the currency of each country.
For example, if someone's wealth reaches an amount where they can buy 85 grams of gold, and they consistently maintain this for a year, they must pay zakat equivalent to the value of 8 grams of gold in their country's currency. For every additional 4 grams of gold acquired, further Zakat must be paid.
The threshold for silver is two hundred dirhams. Once this threshold is reached, Zakat becomes due. After that, nothing is obligatory until the wealth reaches two hundred and forty dirhams. The value of the dirham is approximately three grams of silver.
For example, if someone's wealth reaches an amount equivalent to 600 grams of silver, they must pay Zakat by giving two and a half percent or five out of two hundred. The zakat amount corresponds to the value of five dirhams of silver.
As for the question of whether Zakat can be given to family members, the answer is: if they are in need, priority is given to them.
2. How is charity calculated and to whom should it go? Is it considered within the family?
The answer: We can refer to zakat as a form of charity, which is a voluntary act based on an individual’s capacity. The intention here is charity in the common sense, it reflects what a person desires to give. There is no specific amount for it, but it should be based on the individual's capacity. The only condition is to be moderate, not extravagant. Giving away everything one owns or excessively favoring someone with it is not permissible, as it may cause losing the reward. When distributing charity, prioritize beneficiaries in the following order: parents, one's children, relatives and siblings, poor neighbors, and finally, the general public. God knows best.
Any new question about prayer, we will add it here God willing (Administration of the Alawite Islamic Library)
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