What does zakat mean?
Zakat is the Islamic system of obligatory almsgiving, and the English noun can refer either to the obligation itself or to the wealth that a person must give. Its payments are calculated from prescribed categories of assets, generally after they have been held for the required period, and go to eligible recipients under Islamic rules. The word is therefore more specific than the general English word charity: zakat is a religious obligation, whereas an offering or donation need not be compulsory. In discussion of finance, family duty, and community welfare, zakat may appear as a cost, a calculation, a collection, or a distribution. It is also relevant to public policy and Islamic banking, where compliance can affect how wealth is held and spent. Most speakers use zakat as an uncountable noun, though a plural is occasionally needed when individual payments or contributions are being counted. Borrowed from Arabic, the term carries immediate religious and legal associations for Muslim users and may be unfamiliar to others; learning it clarifies a central concept in Islamic economic and ethical life.
nounIn Islam, zakat is the obligatory giving of a prescribed share of qualifying wealth to eligible recipients; the term also refers to the payment or religious obligation itself.
- The Islamic obligation to give a prescribed share of qualifying wealth to eligible recipients, or the payment made under this obligation.
"Our community center helps families determine how much zakat they owe and where to deliver it."
"Our community center helps families determine how much zakat they owe and where to deliver it."
"The annual report accounts for the zakat collected and distributed by the fund."
The plural is uncommon; zakat is normally used as an uncountable noun.
"The report lists the zakats donated by participating businesses."
Zakat is not merely a charitable donation: it is a prescribed obligation to share wealth with eligible recipients.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of zakat
The English word comes from Arabic zakāt, the term used for obligatory almsgiving and for the payment made under that obligation. It derives from the Arabic root z-k-h, associated with growth, increase, and purity, and entered English through Islamic religious, legal, and financial usage. Transliterations such as zakah and zakāh reflect the same Arabic word.
How zakat is actually used
Zakat is a formal religious, legal, and financial term. It is usually treated as an uncountable noun, although the plural is occasionally used when individual payments or contributions are being counted.
Easily confused with zakat
Zakah is an alternative English transliteration of zakat, not a separate concept.