Zakat ul-Mal
Zakat refers to the purification of wealth and is the third pillar of Islam, after daily prayers. Giving zakat is obligatory for Muslims whose wealth exceeds a certain value (nishab). By paying zakat, you will receive Allah’s blessings and help those who are in need the most.
Please visit our zakat calculator to determine how much zakat you are obligated to give.
What should you include in your calculation for zakat? Zakat is due on your savings, investments, gold, silver, cash, stocks, bonds, business merchandise and profits, as well as rent income that you have held for one year. You should also subtract any living expenses and debt that is due. If the remaining amount is greater than the nishab value, calculated using the current price of gold, then there is zakat that needs to be paid. For further clarification on how to calculate zakat that is due on your income and possessions, you can download the Zakat Guidebook (Panduan Zakat), available in Indonesian for now.
DD USA disburses zakat according to Islamic principles, for programs that benefit the eight groups of asnaf, eligible zakat beneficiaries. DD USA has used zakat from our donors on programs within our mission focus to improve access to education, create sustainable livelihoods and stimulate economic development in underprivileged communities, as well as charitable and humanitarian relief in response to disasters, conflicts and health crisis.
Most of our efforts in the US for this year are focused on the plight of the Afghan refugees resettling in the US. We collaborated with ICNA Relief to sponsor dinner for Afghan refugees around Phoenix, AZ. There are hundreds of these Afghan refugees resettled around the DC, Maryland and Virginia area. We provide assistance as they adapt to their new lives after having to evacuate their home country.
We also continue to collaborate with Dompet Dhuafa in Indonesia for education as well as economic and social development projects in various locations. Some of the projects funded by zakat from our donors include the development of Rumah Tahfidz Quran in Manado and Pati, coffee roastery in South Sulawesi and hydroponic farming in Central Sulawesi. These projects provide education for children, create jobs in underprivileged communities, and they are part of the complete ecosystem of livelihoods supporting the communities. The coffee roastery initiative would take the coffee beans harvested from farmers in DD Farm program, and sell the roasted beans to local coffeehouses. The hydroponic farm program itself is a way of harvesting vegetables which uses less water but at the same time gives the best quality vegetables. The vegetables are sold to the markets and proceeds will be used to create more empowerment programs for the farming communities.
Why is it important to pay zakat? Allah SWT reminded us in Al-Baqarah (2:110), “Establish prayer, and pay alms-tax. Whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will certainly find its reward with Allah. Surely Allah is All-Seeing of what you do”. As M. Quraish Shihab explained during our Ramadan 1442H event, we must remember that Allah SWT is behind each and every one of our successes. Thus Allah asks for only a paltry percentage of it to be returned back to society to purify the wealth and to help those who are in need.
Pay your zakat through DD USA, and your zakat goes further to give the mustahiks hope, opportunities, empowerment and a better life.
