Tech
Paying Zakat Online: 4 Things You Need To Know
In Islam, there are five pillars that every Muslim must follow. These include shahadah (declaration of faith), salah (prayer), zakat (almsgiving), sawm (fasting), and hajj (pilgrimage). Zakat, in particular, refers to a religious practice that obliges Muslims who meet the set criteria to donate a percentage of their wealth to the poor and needy, including the enslaved, disabled, debtors, travelers, and collectors of zakat. This is done annually.
People often consider Ramadan the best time to pay zakat, particularly at sunset on its last fasting day or anytime within the holy month of fasting. But you can also pay for it at other times of the year.
While there are Muslims who know how to calculate their zakat, some still need assistance. Thanks to technological advancements, an easy to use zakat calculator can now easily be found and used online.
The willingness to pay zakat reflects your great devotion to Allah and Islam. It’s also a selfless way of giving back to your community. Depending on your choice, you can pay zakat in person or online through various websites or apps. If you opt for the latter, this article provides valuable information on how to go about it.
- Choose A Reputable Platform
Choosing a reliable and trustworthy platform is essential. However, selecting one you can fully trust can be challenging because most websites and apps intended for paying zakat barely have reviews. Thus, the best thing you can do is to look for a platform set up by the Islamic Religious Council or one in collaboration with the government or other affiliated institutions, like banks.
Moreover, you can assess the credibility of a platform by looking at its website and social media pages. Note that most reliable zakat platforms have websites that are easy to navigate and contain precise information about how zakat is collected, distributed, and monitored. Also, reliable social media pages will include regular updates about their activities, and the platform will respond to givers’ queries.
- Calculate Your Zakat
Zakat comes from a portion of one’s total net worth, which includes cold cash, gold, silver, cash at the bank, income from owned property, stocks and shares, or other equivalent valuables. In line with this, you must know the nisab or the minimum amount of wealth a Muslim must possess to be obliged to pay zakat. Meeting the threshold, you’ll be required to donate 2.5% or 1/40 of your net worth.
But it’s important to note that all debts must be deducted from your total wealth before calculating the zakat amount.
Nowadays, there are online platforms that allow you to calculate zakat accurately. Apart from being convenient, it also minimizes errors.
- Use Secure Payment Methods
It’s also essential to research the payment methods offered by the zakat platform you choose and ensure that they provide adequate security measures, such as encryption. This way, your personal information is kept safe from hackers and other cybercriminals. Moreover, secure payment methods can give you peace of mind and help you feel confident that your zakat donation will go to the intended recipient.
You can pay zakat using the following secure payment methods:
- Bank transfer: You can directly transfer to a verified charity or organization’s account. This method provides a secure, traceable transaction history, reducing the risk of fraud or mismanagement of funds.
- Mobile payment apps: Use established apps like PayPal or Venmo to send zakat. They employ robust security measures, ensuring your financial information remains protected and transactions are processed safely.
- Credit card: This is one of the safest ways to pay your zakat. For one, it’s not connected to your money. Also, most credit card issuers offer zero fraud liability, which means you won’t lose a penny if your card gets embroiled in fraudulent transactions. However, ensure you pay through a secure, encrypted online portal.
These payment methods will ensure the utmost protection of your personal information and donation.
- Specify Recipients
As previously mentioned, zakat is a charitable donation intended to help the poor and needy, such as victims of natural disasters or wars, or the disabled. Most zakat platforms are designed to allow almsgivers to specify their preferred recipients. This helps ensure that the donations go to the right people, as well as prevent fraud or abuse of the system.
Moreover, one of the reasons almsgivers prefer to pay online is to reach people in need who live far away. Thus, donating is easier regardless of distance. For example, Muslims in Australia, through the online zakat platform, can help the victims of earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Conclusion
This highly digitized world now allows Muslims to conveniently pay their zakat online. Today, they can show their selfless devotion to Allah and respect for His commands without leaving their homes. You can use the guide above to ensure the safety of your finances and personal information as you take advantage of these virtual zakat platforms.
Kenneth is a proud native of sydney, born and raised there. However, he pursued his education abroad and studied in Australia. Kenneth has worked as a journalist for almost a decade, making valuable contributions to prominent publications such as Yahoo News and The Verge. Currently, he serves as a journalist for The Hear Up, where he focuses on covering climate and science news. You can reach Kenneth at bloggerjohnsmith12@gmail.com.