zakat

American  

[zuh-kaht] / zəˈkɑt /

Also zakah

noun

Islam.

1. a tax, comprising percentages of personal income of every kind, levied as almsgiving for the relief of poor people: the third of the Pillars of Islam.

---

zakat British  

/ zaˈkat /

noun

1. Islam an annual tax on Muslims to aid the poor in the Muslim community

---

Etymology

Origin of zakat

First recorded in 1800–05; from Turkish zekât or Persian zakāt, from Arabic zakāh

Example Sentences

The other pillars are the profession of faith, prayer five times a day, zakat - a form of charity, and making the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca once in their lifetime.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2024

Islam calls on Muslims to set aside 2.5 percent of their accumulated wealth each year for zakat, said Khalid Latif, the executive director of the Islamic Center at New York University.

From New York Times • Apr. 29, 2022

That number is around the same size as global zakat: What might global poverty have looked like without consistent Muslim aid?

From Slate • Aug. 17, 2018

They vowed not to “cheat” Muslims and to pay their zakat, or tithe, to a designated Islamic State office.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2017

"I know about zakat," said Belet, referring to the obligation to help the needy.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda