Zakat
Pay your Zakat Donation Through UMR
Better Together
There is a saying, “A Muslim who spends his wealth in the right way is the wisest among all”. And Zakat donation is the epitome of spending your money in the right way. Allah (SWT) has made Zakat donation obligatory for all proficient people. Prophet (SAW) mentioned in Sahih Muslim, Book 5,
“Allah says, ‘Spend, O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you….”
Caring for one another is an essential part of our Islamic identity as a Muslim Ummah. Islam places a high value on community sustainability. Zakat, On the other hand, is the engine that makes that possible. United Mission for Relief & Development (UMR) directs your Zakat donation to the person who will benefit the most from it.
Zakat - The Powerful Pillar
Pillars provide firm support to larger structures. The pillars of Islam do the same by upholding the identity of muslims. One true believer must stay true to all the 5 pillars of Islam. Zakat is a powerful pillar for Muslim Ummah. It is an obligatory act ordained by Allah that has been Glorified and Praised. Every able-bodied Muslim is required to give 2.5 percent of their wealth for Zakat. It is the ideal way to purify your wealth and cultivate virtues. As it is mentioned in the Quran,
“Take from their wealth a ‘charitable offering’ to cleanse them and purify them thereby” (Sûrat Al-Tawbah, 9:60)
Donating Zakat directly contributes to the betterment and growth of Muslims worldwide. As there are many underprivileged muslims residing in every corner of this world, it is physically impossible to reach them all. Except United Mission for Relief & Development will be the mailman, delivering your Zakat donations to people in greatest need. Umrelief began in the United States and is now providing assistance to Muslims in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. We have committed volunteers from all around the world who have made it easy for you to convey your Zakat donations to the needy Ummah around the globe.
Eligibility for Donating Zakat
Paying Zakat is mandatory for eligible muslims. For the eligibility of giving Zakat, a muslim has to have wealth above the nisab threshold for the entire year. And the wealth must come from a halal resource.
In Sahih Bukhari, Vol 2, Book 24, No. 491 it is said,
“…one gives in charity what equals (the size of) one date-fruit from the honestly-earned money and Allah accepts only the honestly earned money….”
The Nisab threshold is the bare minimum of wealth required for a Muslim to be obligated to pay Zakat. The percent of Zakat depends on this Nisab. It is measured with either 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver.
As gold and silver hold two different values, it is typically recommended by the scholars to use the lower threshold to measure your nisab. If you want to verify your eligibility to give Zakat, you should go with silver to be safe. Other than that, Using silver as a measurement encouraged more people to donate Zakat.
So, if you have 471.53 USD in your possession for 1 year then you have to pay 2.5 percent which is 11.79 USD as your Zakat charity.
If all this seems complicated to you, then you can simply use our Zakat calculator to find your details status for Zakat Donations.
Assets Required for Zakat Donation
Aside from money, Zakat is also applicable for some of the assets muslim’s possess. Let’s take a detailed look for which properties you have to pay Zakat Charity.
- Muslims have to pay 2.5 percent of their preserved gold and silver as Zakat donation.
- If you are a business owner then you have to pay Zakat on your cash on the business, the receivables and the sellable product of your business.
- You need to pay Zakat on the full amount of the stocks if you bought it to buy and sell regularly.
- If you invest various funds or pensions in stock, then the easy way to approach this is to take 25 percent of the investment as an approximation and then pay 2.5 percent Zakat on all of that.
- If you are buying property for selling it then you have to pay the whole amount. Except if you bought to live in it or rent it out then you don’t need to give Zakat on that.
- Crypto-currency is still a debatable issue in the field of Zakat because it’s such an emerging area. But to stay safe, scholars have advised to pay the ideal percentage which is 2.5 percent on whatever you own in crypto.
- For the debts that people owe you and will come back to you within a year or less, you have to pay the standard percentage of Zakat on that.
Determine Your Zakat with UMR
Your Zakat must be paid in the proper manner or it won’t be counted. In Sûrat Fuṣṣilat Allah has categorized the people who do not pay Zakat as disbelievers,
“For woe to those who associate gods with God, those who do not give the Zakat-Charity, those who are disbelievers in the Hereafter.”
These Zakat quotes are giving us warning before it’s too late. As calculating Zakat can be a complicated thing sometimes. That’s why United Mission for Relief & Development created a Zakat calculator by which you can easily detect the Zakatable amount. You can simply put your assets on the calculator and we will do the math for you. There are total of 6 conditions of a Muslim’s wealth which decide whether or not he or she is required to pay Zakat from it:
- Complete Ownership
- Growth
- Minimum Order Quantity
- Abundance Greater Than Need
- Solvency (Freedom from debt)
- The End of a Lunar Year
Stocks, savings, investment properties, cash, and company profits are some examples of wealth that require Zakat. We will take all of these variables and calculate the percentage and total amount of Zakat that you must pay for the current fiscal year.
Furthermore, if you have any questions about Zakat charity, you can contact us directly via email or phone. Umrelief is delighted to help you with your Zakat journey and simplify the process for you.
The Guidelines UMR follows for Zakat Donations
There is also eligibility for receiving Zakat. Our Prophet (SAW) has left us with proper guidelines about how to distribute Zakat. Because it is the best way to gain Allah’s blessing and mentioned in the Quran alongside Salat.
In Surah Al-Maryam Verse 31 Allah mentioned,
“And He has blessed me wherever I go, and He has commanded me to pray and give zakat as long as I live.”
It is crucial for a muslim to follow these guidelines otherwise the Zakat won’t be counted. According to islamic rules, there are 8 types of recipients of Zakat which are:
- Al-Fuqara’ (the poor).
- Al- Masakin (those in need ).
- The administrators are in charge.
- Those whose hearts must be healed; (new Muslims and the friends of the Muslim community).
- Those held in captivity (slaves and captives).
- Debt-ridden people.
- For the sake of Allah.
- The wanderer; (who are stuck while traveling and have few resources).
A poor or needy person is someone who has property that exceeds his basic needs but does not surpass the nisab criterion. There are some restrictions also. It is not counted as Zakat when you give money to your immediate family like your wife, children, grandparents. Another thing to keep in mind muslims are not allowed to give Zakat to a Hashimi, a descendant of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Umrelief is always very careful with your Zakat charity. We make sure your donations are reaching the right recipients as well as following the appropriate rules and regulations of Zakat.
Why UMRelief is the Best Place to Give Zakat
United Mission for Relief & Development is the best place to give Zakat. This organization distributes your Zakat to the most vulnerable muslims out there in the world. From helping you to find out your eligibility of paying Zakat to spreading them equivalently to the needy, Umrelief will walk with you through the whole journey.
Suppose a young muslim who recently got themselves in a stable financial position or inherited his/her ancestral assets. Since Zakat can be quite complicated if you are new, Umrelief can help you with the determination of it. Or if you are a muslim living in the developed parts of the world, it is hard to find the right person to donate. But you can easily find us and we will deliver your Zakat to the most needed persons of the society.
It is physically difficult to give zakat if you are in your old age. So, you can easily pay your Zakat to Umrelief by online payment and stay untroubled regarding your charity. Besides, we distribute your charity across the world in countries like- Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Yemen, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and so on. So, by donating to UMR you can empower underprivileged communities in far-flung, inaccessible areas of the world.
Even in this era, many people are unable to provide basic human rights for their children. By donating to Umrelief you can change the world of these children. Start your Zakat journey with us without any worry.
Distribution of Zakat in Umrelief
Throughout the years, United Mission for Relief & Development has distributed the Zakat fund especially in the month of Ramadan. Some of the significant ones are-
Umrelief started many campaigns during the 2022’s Ramadan
- Pass the Plate
- Support an Orphan
- Ramadan Food Baskets
- Build Water Wells
During 2020 the whole world suffered from Covid
- Donated 100 food boxes in various primitive areas of Yemen.
- Delivered live saving food aid in Lebanon.
- Distributed a total of 100 food parcels in many areas of Jordan.
- Delivered over 500 shopping bags of food across the USA.
UMR is already preparing for the upcoming Campaign in Ramadan 2023
- Eid Gifts
- Women Empower
- Orphan Protection
- Ramadan Food Baskets
- And more ….
Since we collect the most amount of Zakat during the month of Ramadan, we make sure to spread all the funds efficiently among the poor and needy around the globe.
Give Zakat and Reserve a Place in Jannah
Zakat is a commandment given to believers by Allah (SWT). The benefits of Zakat are indescribable. It is emphasized in both the Qur’an and Sunnah. It is a way to form a spiritual bond with Allah. In the very early Makkan surah Al-Muzzammil, Allah says,
“……And you shall give the Zakât-Charity, and therewith lend God a most goodly loan. For whatever good you advance for your souls, you shall find its reward with God in the Hereafter; yet it shall be far better and much greater in reward”
Giving zakat has been compared to a beautiful loan to Allah(SWT)! Just imagine how much dignity you can get by providing only a small percentage of your entire wealth.
By Zakat donations, you will get a step forward to Jannah. Besides, UMR makes sure your donations are reaching the worthy recipients. We help to eradicate poverty from society by taking steps like providing food, education, healthcare and so on. As a result, we are contributing largely to the purpose of world peace. In the event of a natural disaster, the fund is also used for immediate aid. With the help of your charity, United Mission for Relief & Development is creating a better world for the Muslim Ummah.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Zakat is mandatory for all able-bodied Muslims.
Zakat is obligatory but donations are nafl(supererogatory) acts.
Cash, gold, silver, sellable products, business and stocks.
Zakat can be given at any time of the year.
Muslims prefer to pay their zakat during Ramadan because the rewards are multiplied in that time.
Zakat can be given at any time of the year.
- Making Niyyah (intention) is only half the task. Muslims must also consider the following conditions in order to ensure their contribution is paid correctly.
- Recipient’s Eligibility: It is absolutely imperative that every shred of aid given reaches only those who need it most. As such, recipients must be sufficiently poor to receive it. In a nutshell, if they don’t have personal assets that either meet or exceed the nisab, they are eligible to receive Zakat.
- Paying Zakat in Advance: People who wish to pay for future years can certainly do so. Keep in mind that the pre-paid amount can be offset against the actual liability incurred in future years.
- Payment in Kind: Zakat can be paid in many ways. The ideal way for today’s fast paced world is cash or if some people prefer, they can pay in kind as long as the value of goods are equal to the cash amount and furthermore, the recipient has agreed to accept the goods in kind.
- Jewelry and Precious Metal – Case in point, Gold and Silver. Both come under Zakat even if they are used merely for decorative purposes. The reason behind it is simple; they contribute towards your cumulative wealth and as such their worth must be tabulated when calculating Zakat.
- Bank Accounts – Any cash, bonds, stock one might have in their savings account. The amount should be in the bank for one year. Loans given or funds received are also part of the Zakat process.
- Cattle and Crops – Cattle and crops that are in excess of one’s need.
