Zakat on Cash & Savings
Calculate 2.5% Zakat on current accounts, savings, term deposits, and cash at home, and learn how to pay through Qatar's official Zakat Fund.
Key Takeaways
- Cash and bank balances are the most straightforward Zakat assets
- Pay 2.5% on all cash held above nisab for one full lunar year
- No automatic deduction in Qatar: you calculate and pay Zakat yourself
- Qatar's Zakat Fund offers official calculators, payment channels, and certified receipts
- Declared profit from Islamic banks is halal; conventional interest is given away entirely, separate from Zakat
What Cash Is Subject to Zakat?
All cash and cash equivalents that you own and have held for a full lunar year (hawl) are subject to Zakat, provided your total wealth exceeds the nisab threshold. This includes:
Cash set aside for specific purposes may have different treatment depending on scholarly opinion. Some scholars exclude cash earmarked for immediate expenses or debts. Always verify with qualified Islamic scholars.
How to Calculate Zakat on Cash
Add up all cash holdings
Sum current accounts, savings, term deposits, mobile wallets, and physical cash in all currencies.
Convert foreign currencies
Convert dollar, pound, or other foreign holdings to riyals at the current rate.
Check against nisab
Nisab is the value of 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver. Check today's rates or use our calculator; your total wealth must have stayed above it for a lunar year.
Calculate 2.5%
If above nisab, multiply your total cash by 0.025. That is the Zakat due on your liquid assets for the year.
Quick Zakat Estimate
Enter the total value of your cash & savings to calculate
Zakat Due
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Full detailed calculatorPaying Zakat in Qatar
Zakat in Qatar is a personal obligation: no bank deducts it automatically and there is no statutory collection from accounts. You calculate on your own hawl date and choose where to pay. The state offers an official channel through the Zakat Affairs Department of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, widely known as the Zakat Fund, which runs calculators, online card payment, bank transfer, ATM payment, mosque collection boxes, and office collection at zf.org.qa, with certified receipts and distribution to verified assistance applicants inside Qatar.
Whichever channel you choose, your hawl calculation covers everything: cash at home, current and savings accounts, gold, shares, and business assets. Paying through the Zakat Fund discharges the obligation for what you pay, but the calculation itself is always yours.
Timing and the Hawl Requirement
Zakat on cash is only due if your wealth (including cash) has been above the nisab threshold for a full lunar year (hawl, 354 days). If your cash balance fluctuates but remains above nisab throughout, calculate Zakat on the amount at the end of your Zakat year.
Important
If your wealth drops below nisab at any point during the year, the hawl period resets. You must start counting again once your wealth exceeds nisab.
Special Considerations
Conventional interest
Interest earned at a conventional bank is haram. Give it all away, separate from Zakat; it does not count toward your Zakat.
Islamic bank profit
Declared Mudarabah profit is halal income. Include it in your balance and pay Zakat on the total like any other cash.
Committee (BC) savings
Money you have paid into a rotating savings committee is a receivable; most scholars include amounts you expect to recover.
Joint accounts
Calculate Zakat only on your share of jointly held accounts.
Quick Answer
Zakat on cash and savings is 2.5% of your total liquid assets held for one lunar year, provided the amount exceeds the nisab threshold (the value of 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver). In Qatar there is no automatic bank deduction: you calculate on your own hawl date and pay directly, through charities, or through the state Zakat Fund, which offers official calculators and certified receipts.
Key Takeaways
- 2.5% is the standard Zakat rate on cash holdings
- Nisab is the value of 612.36 grams of silver (or 87.48 grams of gold); check current metal prices
- Includes current accounts, savings, term deposits, mobile wallets, and physical cash
- No automatic deduction in Qatar; pay directly, through charities, or through the state Zakat Fund
- Conventional interest is given away entirely as purification, separate from Zakat
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Reviewed by: HalalWallet Editorial Team
Last reviewed: 2026-03-06
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does my bank deduct Zakat automatically in Qatar?
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No. Qatar has no statutory Zakat deduction from bank accounts. Zakat is a personal obligation you calculate and pay yourself. Qatar's Zakat Affairs Department (the Zakat Fund, under the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs) provides official calculators, online payment, and collection channels if you want to pay through the state authority.
How do I pay Zakat in Qatar?
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You can pay directly to eligible recipients, through charities, or through the state Zakat Fund at zf.org.qa, which accepts online card payment, bank transfer, ATM, cheques, mosque collection boxes, and office collection, and issues certified receipts. Whichever channel you use, the calculation is yours to do on your own hawl date.
What if my balance changes during the year?
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Zakat is based on your balance on your Zakat anniversary date. As long as your total wealth stayed above nisab throughout the lunar year, Zakat is due on what you hold on that date.
Do I include current and savings accounts?
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Yes, both count: current accounts, savings accounts, term deposits, prepaid and wallet balances, and physical cash. The account type does not matter for Zakat; what matters is that the money is yours and accessible.
What about foreign currency accounts?
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Convert foreign currency holdings to riyals at the current exchange rate on your Zakat date, then include them in the total. Many residents of Qatar hold balances in home-country currencies; those are zakatable the same way.
Is profit from an Islamic savings account treated like interest?
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No. Expected-rate Mudaraba profit from a QCB-licensed Islamic bank is halal income; include it in your wealth and pay Zakat on the total. Interest from a conventional account is different: it should not be kept at all and is given away entirely as purification, separate from Zakat.
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