Zakat is commonly referred to as either a tax or as charity. Neither of these is accurate as Zakat is a divine duty. Zakat is considered a right of the poor over the rich. Withholding it is tantamount to depriving the poor of their God-given right.

Allah (SWT) says of the wealthy in the Qur'an;

'In their wealth there is a known share for the beggars and the destitute' (70:24-25)
'Take alms from their property that you may purify and sanctify them and pray for them. Verily your prayers are a comfort for them' (9:103)

Definition of Nisab

The Nisab is the minimum amount of wealth upon which Zakat is payable. It represents the guaranteed minimum financial floor above which an individual is deemed to be 'Sahib-un-Nisab' (owner of wealth) and therefore liable to Zakat.

The Nisab limit was set by the Prophet (peace be upon him) at 20 Mithqaal of gold or 200 dirhams of silver. These measures are equivalent to 87.48 grams of Gold and 612.36 grams of Silver respectively. If a person only has Gold as an asset, then the Nisab measure for Gold must be used. If however the person has a mixture of assets, then the Nisab level for Silver should be used. To ascertain the current monetary equivalent of the Nisab limit, it is necessary to establish the market rate for a gram of Gold & Silver. This can be obtained from http://www.kitco.com/. The market rate (July 2009) for a gram of 24 carat Gold was £20.37, and £0.29 for a gram of Silver. Therefore, the Nisab threshold for Gold is approximately £1781.96 and for Silver it is £177.58. A person will only pay Zakat if his Zakatable assets, after adding and subtracting debts owed either to or from others, is equal to, or in excess of £177.58.

Easy-Talk's annual Eid Gathering you dont want to miss out! Come along and celebrate an afternoon filled with fantastic speakers, auctions and entertainment!

3 Course Meal!
Entertainment by Message Cultural Group,
Presenters got talent,
and Much Much More!

This Eid enrich your souls with knowledge about our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), was he a prophet of Mercy or a prophet of vengeance?

Topics and Guest speakers include:

'Defeating tyranny the Prophet's way' with Ustadh Shafiur Rahman,
'Prophet of mercy' with Sheikh Ahmed Saad

Saturday 2nd October 2010, 4pm - 8pm
@ London Muslim Centre, Whitechapel Road, London, E1
(Ground Floor LMC Main Hall)

For tickets contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Ramadan 2011 will either fall on Sunday 31st of July or Monday 1st of August 2011, this is dependant upon the sighting of the new moon.

Please revisit us again this evening for when we will make an official announcement for the start of Ramadan 2011.

Palestinians in Gaza paint a smile on their faces as they continue to endeavour to adapt to the painful reality of the blockade and the closures imposed on them.

Nevertheless, on the first night of Ramadan, many Gazans gathered in Gaza City's Kutayyiba Square and lit a large lantern expressing their joy at the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan. Children lit fireworks as an expression of their joy despite the difficult circumstances they live under and the fact that many of them lack the basic necessities of life.

The land, sea and air embargo imposed on the Gaza Strip has left Gazans with little hope beyond the Rafah land crossing which cannot cope with the crisis being experienced within the beleaguered Sector. There is a current and on-going crisis with medical supplies and equipment as well as shortages of milk and other difficulties such as electricity shortages which mean continuous power cuts.

Source: For more photos visit Middle East Monitor