Free and instant — plug in your own numbers.
Zakat is 2.5% of the wealth you have owned for a full lunar year, once that wealth is at or above the nisab. In Pakistan most people count their cash, bank balances, gold, silver and savings in rupees, take off debts that are due now, and give 2.5% of what is left. On Rs 1,000,000 of net wealth, zakat is Rs 25,000.
The hard parts are the nisab, valuing gold by karat, and knowing what to include. This guide walks through each one with real numbers. You can do the whole calculation in the zakat calculator once you have your figures.
The nisab: the minimum for zakat
The nisab is the least amount of wealth on which zakat becomes due. It is set by weight of silver or gold:
| Silver nisab | Gold nisab | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight in tola | 52.5 tola | 7.5 tola |
| Weight in grams | 612.36 g | 87.48 g |
| In rupees at an example price | 52.5 × Rs 5,500 = Rs 288,750 | 7.5 × Rs 420,000 = Rs 3,150,000 |
One tola is 11.6638 grams. Silver and gold prices change every day, so multiply the weight by today's rate from your local sarafa market.
Because silver is far cheaper, the silver nisab is much lower. Many scholars in Pakistan advise using the silver nisab when your wealth is cash or a mix of things, because more people then give zakat and more reaches people in need. The gold nisab is often used when all your zakatable wealth is gold. If you are not sure which applies to you, ask a scholar you trust.
Step 1: Add up what counts
Zakat is due on wealth that can grow or be spent, not on things you use every day.
Count:
- Cash at home and money in bank accounts
- Gold and silver, including jewellery (by most Hanafi scholars)
- Prize bonds and similar savings
- Goods you bought to sell, valued at their selling price
- Money people owe you that you expect to get back
Do not count:
- Your home, car, furniture and clothes
- Tools and machines you use for work
- Household items for personal use
Step 2: Value your gold by karat
Gold prices are quoted for 24 karat, which is pure gold. Jewellery in Pakistan is usually 22 or 21 karat, so it is worth less per tola.
At Rs 420,000 per tola for 24K, 22K gold is worth Rs 420,000 × 22 ÷ 24 = Rs 385,000 per tola. If you know the weight in grams, divide by 11.6638 to get tola first. The gold calculator does these conversions for you, including masha and ratti.
Many scholars say you should value gold at the price you could sell it for today, not the shop price. Jewellers pay less when they buy back gold, so this gives a slightly smaller figure.
Step 3: Subtract debts due now
Take off debts and bills that you must pay now, such as this month's loan instalment, unpaid rent, or a bill that is due. Most scholars do not let you subtract the whole remaining balance of a long-term loan like a home loan, only the part that is due now.
Step 4: Compare with the nisab and work out 2.5%
2.5% is the same as dividing by 40. So Rs 400,000 of net wealth means Rs 10,000 of zakat. If percentages feel tricky, how to calculate a percentage shows the quick ways to do it on a phone calculator.
Worked example: a family's zakat
Ahmed has owned the following for a full lunar year:
- Rs 400,000 in the bank and Rs 150,000 cash at home
- 5 tola of 22 karat jewellery
- Rs 100,000 in prize bonds
- Rs 50,000 lent to a friend, who will pay it back
- Rs 75,000 of bills and an instalment due this month
Gold at Rs 420,000 per tola for 24K, silver at Rs 5,500 per tola:
- Gold: 5 × Rs 420,000 × 22 ÷ 24 = Rs 1,925,000
- Everything that counts: Rs 400,000 + Rs 150,000 + Rs 1,925,000 + Rs 100,000 + Rs 50,000 = Rs 2,625,000
- Net wealth: Rs 2,625,000 − Rs 75,000 = Rs 2,550,000
- Silver nisab: Rs 288,750, so zakat is due
- Zakat: 2.5% × Rs 2,550,000 = Rs 63,750
Because Ahmed has cash as well as gold, the silver nisab applies, and his zakat is Rs 63,750.
Zakat on common amounts
| Net wealth | Zakat at 2.5% |
|---|---|
| Rs 300,000 | Rs 7,500 |
| Rs 500,000 | Rs 12,500 |
| Rs 1,000,000 | Rs 25,000 |
| Rs 2,500,000 | Rs 62,500 |
| Rs 5,000,000 | Rs 125,000 |
| Rs 10,000,000 | Rs 250,000 |
Key idea Zakat is not on your income. It is on what you have saved and kept for a full lunar year. A high salary that is all spent each month may owe no zakat, while modest savings kept for a year can.
Money kept idle in cash also loses value every year to rising prices. What inflation really does to your savings shows how much, which is one reason many people keep part of their savings in gold or profit-earning accounts.
Gold measured in grams
If your jewellery is weighed in grams, convert first. 20 grams of 22K gold is 20 ÷ 11.6638 = 1.7147 tola. At Rs 385,000 per tola for 22K, that is worth about Rs 660,167, and zakat on it alone is about Rs 16,504.
When to pay
Zakat is due once your wealth has stayed at or above the nisab for one full lunar (Islamic) year. Many people in Pakistan choose a fixed date, often in Ramadan, and count their wealth on that day each year. Keep the same date every year so that you never miss a year.
The bank's zakat deduction
Banks in Pakistan deduct 2.5% from savings and similar accounts on the first of Ramadan when the balance is at or above that year's government nisab. For 1447 AH (Ramadan 2026), the government nisab was Rs 503,529. Current accounts are not deducted.
If the bank deducts zakat from an account, you do not pay zakat again on that same balance. If you prefer to pay zakat yourself, for example to give it directly to people you know, you can file a zakat declaration with your bank to stop the deduction.
A quick checklist
- Pick your zakat date and stick to it each year.
- List your cash, bank balances, gold, silver, savings, stock and money owed to you.
- Value gold by karat at today's selling price with the gold calculator.
- Subtract only the debts and bills due now.
- Compare with the nisab and give 2.5%, or enter everything in the zakat calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the nisab for zakat in tola?
52.5 tola of silver or 7.5 tola of gold. Multiply the weight by today's price per tola to get the amount in rupees. At Rs 5,500 per tola of silver, the silver nisab is Rs 288,750.
Do I pay zakat on gold jewellery I wear?
Most Hanafi scholars, whom most people in Pakistan follow, say yes: gold and silver jewellery counts whether or not it is worn. Other schools of thought exempt jewellery for normal personal use. Ask a scholar if you are unsure.
Is zakat due on my provident fund or shares?
Scholars differ on these. Many say zakat on shares is due on the part of the company's assets that are zakatable, or on the market value if you hold the shares to sell. Provident fund balances that you cannot withdraw yet are treated differently by different scholars. Ask a scholar about your own case.
Can I give zakat to my relatives?
You can give zakat to relatives who are eligible, such as a poor brother, sister, uncle or aunt, and many scholars say it carries extra reward. You cannot give zakat to your own parents, grandparents, children or grandchildren, or to your husband or wife, because you already have a duty to support them.
What if my wealth falls below the nisab during the year?
Many Hanafi scholars say what matters is that your wealth is at or above the nisab at the start and at the end of the lunar year. If it dips in between and comes back, zakat is still due at the end of the year.
This article is for general education and is not financial advice. Rules, rates and products vary by lender and country. See our disclaimer.
