What is "zakat"

obligatory Islamic tax for religious purposes, 1802, from Persian zakat, etc., from Arabic zakah.

n. (context Islam English) almsgiving, one of the five pillars of Islam.

n. the fourth pillar of Islam is almsgiving as an act of worship; "the zakat is earmarked for the poor and disabled"

Zakat ( zakāt, "that which purifies", also Zakat al-mal , "zakat on wealth") is a form of alms-giving treated as a religious tax and/or religious obligation in Islam, which, by Qur'anic ranking, immediately follows prayer (salat) in importance.

As one of the Five Pillars of Islam, zakat is a religious obligation for all Muslims who meet the necessary criteria of wealth. It is not a charitable contribution, and is considered to be a tax. The payment and disputes on zakat have played a major role in the history of Islam, notably during the Ridda wars.

Zakat is based on income and the value of all of one's possessions. It is customarily 2.5% of a Muslim's total savings and wealth above a minimum amount known as nisab, but Islamic scholars differ on how much nisab is and other aspects of zakat. The collected amount is paid first to zakat collectors, and then to poor Muslims, to new converts to Islam, to Islamic clergy, and others.

Today, in most Muslim majority countries zakat contributions are voluntary, while in a handful ( Libya, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Yemen) zakat is mandated and collected by the state.

Shias, unlike Sunnis, have traditionally regarded zakat as a private and voluntary decision, and they give zakat to Imam-sponsored rather than state-sponsored collectors.

Zakat or Zakāt also Zakat al-mal, is a form of alms-giving and religious tax in Islam. It may also refer to

• Zakāt Livestock, Zakāt on livestock or cattle
• Zakat Council, a government body responsible for collecting and distributing Zakat in Pakistan
• International Zakat Organization, an Islamic charitable initiative founded by the Government of Malaysia, which focuses on the use of Zakat
• The Zakat Foundation, a Chicago-based, Muslim non-profit organization
• Zakat al-Fitr, a smaller Islamic charitable donation given on Eid al-Fitr