Author Profile
Robert Mallon
Co-Founder, HalalWallet
Robert leads product strategy and the comparison methodology behind HalalWallet. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Vanderbilt and an M.S. in Data Analytics from Georgia Tech, and previously worked at Deloitte and across fintech startups.
Areas of Expertise
- Fintech
- Data Analytics
- Management Consulting
- Halal Finance
- Financial Product Comparison
Education
- • Vanderbilt University
- • Georgia Institute of Technology
Articles by Robert
24 recent articles auto-assigned based on topic expertise.
ICNA Relief Review (2026): Domestic Muslim Charity With Real Community Reach
ICNA Relief is the humanitarian arm of the Islamic Circle of North America, and it does something most Muslim charities don't: deep, sustained work inside U.S. communities. Here's the full review.
May 31, 2026
Zakat Foundation of America Review (2026): Programs, Transparency, and Who Should Give
Zakat Foundation of America has built a strong reputation for domestic and international zakat distribution. Here's what the 2026 review covers — programs, financial transparency, and how they compare.
May 31, 2026
Islamic Relief USA Review (2026): Is It a Good Place to Give Your Zakat?
Islamic Relief USA is one of the largest and most established Muslim charity organizations in America. Here's what you need to know before sending your zakat or sadaqah.
May 31, 2026
Zakat Due Date 2026: When Is Your Zakat Actually Due?
There's no single zakat due date on the calendar — zakat is tied to your personal lunar year cycle. Here's how the timing works, why Ramadan became the default for most Muslims, and how to figure out when yours is actually due.
May 30, 2026
How to Calculate Zakat on Mixed Assets (2026 U.S. Guide)
Most Muslims don't have just cash — they have savings, gold, stocks, rental income, and business assets all at once. Here's how to calculate zakat when your wealth spans multiple categories.
May 30, 2026
Zakat on Jewelry (2026): The Hanafi vs. Majority Position Explained
Whether your gold jewelry is zakatable depends on your madhab. The Hanafi school requires zakat on all gold and silver jewelry. The majority (Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali) exempts jewelry worn for personal use. Here's how to apply each position in practice.
May 29, 2026
Who Is Eligible to Receive Zakat? (2026 Guide for U.S. Muslims)
Zakat can only go to 8 specific categories of recipients defined in the Quran. This guide breaks down each category in plain terms, explains who doesn't qualify, and covers how to apply these rules in a U.S. context.
May 29, 2026
What Is Fitrana? Zakat al-Fitr Explained for U.S. Muslims (2026)
Fitrana, also called Zakat al-Fitr, is a mandatory charity paid by every Muslim before Eid al-Fitr prayer. In the U.S., most scholars set the amount at $10 to $15 per person. You pay it for yourself and every dependent in your household, and it must be given before the Eid prayer to count.
May 28, 2026
Zakat on Rental Income (2026 U.S. Guide)
Zakat is not owed on the market value of a rental property you hold for long-term investment. It's owed on the net rental income you receive and still have at the end of a full lunar year. Here's how scholars calculate it and what landlords in the U.S. need to know.
May 28, 2026
Is Sadaqah Tax Deductible? What Muslim Donors Should Know (2026)
Sadaqah can be tax deductible in the U.S., but only if you donate to a registered 501(c)(3) organization and itemize your deductions. Direct giving to individuals is not deductible, and with the 2026 standard deduction at $15,000 for single filers, most donors won't itemize anyway.
May 28, 2026
Zakat Nisab 2026: What It Is, How It's Calculated, and Which Threshold to Use
Nisab is the minimum level of wealth a Muslim must hold before zakat becomes obligatory. Two values exist: a gold nisab and a silver nisab, and they produce very different dollar thresholds. Which one you use matters, and the mainstream U.S. scholarly position leans toward gold.
May 27, 2026
Zakat on Debt 2026: What You Can Deduct and What You Owe on Money Lent
Debt affects zakat in two directions. Money you owe can reduce your zakatable wealth. Money owed to you may count as a zakatable asset. The rules are different for each, and getting them right changes your calculation significantly.
May 27, 2026
Zakat on Business Income: What Muslim Entrepreneurs and Self-Employed Muslims Owe (2026)
Zakat on a business is not calculated on revenue or profit. It is calculated on net zakatable assets: cash, inventory, and receivables, minus current liabilities. Understanding this distinction is what separates an accurate zakat calculation from a guess.
May 27, 2026
Zakat on Real Estate: What U.S. Muslims Owe on Property (2026 Guide)
Whether you owe zakat on real estate depends on how you hold it. Your home is exempt. Investment property held for sale is zakatable on its market value. Rental property is zakatable on the income it generates, not the building itself.
May 26, 2026
Kaffarah 2026: Types, Requirements, and How to Fulfill It in the U.S.
Kaffarah is an expiation owed for deliberately violating certain religious obligations. In the U.S. context, the most common cases are intentionally breaking a Ramadan fast and breaking a sworn oath. The requirements differ significantly by type, and fulfilling kaffarah through feeding the poor is the most accessible option for most American Muslims.
May 26, 2026
Fidya 2026: What It Is, Who Owes It, and How Much to Pay
Fidya is a compensation payment for Muslims who cannot fast Ramadan and have no realistic chance of making up those fasts. It applies to the elderly, the permanently ill, and in some cases pregnant or nursing women. For 2026, most U.S. organizations set the rate at around $10 to $15 per missed fast.
May 26, 2026
Can You Give Zakat to Your Own Family?
Zakat can go to some family members and not others. The line is drawn by nafaqa: the financial maintenance obligation. If you are required to support someone, their need cannot be offset by your zakat. If you are not, zakat to a needy relative is not only allowed but earns a double reward.
May 25, 2026
Can You Give Zakat to Non-Muslims? A Clear Answer
Zakat cannot go to non-Muslims under the standard ruling of all four major schools. The eight categories in Quran 9:60 are interpreted as applying to Muslims. But sadaqah has no such restriction, and that distinction matters practically for U.S. Muslims who want to help non-Muslim neighbors, coworkers, and family members.
May 25, 2026
Zakat on Gold and Silver: How to Calculate It and What Counts (2026 U.S. Guide)
Gold and silver above the nisab threshold, held for one lunar year, are subject to zakat at 2.5%. The main question U.S. Muslims have is whether their jewelry counts. The answer depends on how much you have, how you use it, and which school of Islamic law you follow.
May 25, 2026
Sadaqah Guide for U.S. Muslims: What It Is, How to Give It, and Where It Goes
Sadaqah is voluntary charity beyond the zakat obligation. No minimum, no eligibility restrictions, no fixed season. This guide covers what counts as sadaqah, how it differs from zakat, whether it is tax-deductible in the U.S., and where to give it so it actually reaches people.
May 24, 2026
What Is Sadaqah Jariyah? Ongoing Charity in Islam and How to Set It Up in the U.S.
Sadaqah jariyah is charity whose reward continues after you die. A well someone funded in their lifetime still generates thawab decades later. This guide explains what qualifies, how U.S. Muslims can set it up while alive, and how to build it into an estate plan.
May 24, 2026
Qurbani 2026: U.S. Muslim Guide to the Sacrifice, Who Owes It, and Where to Give
Eid al-Adha 2026 falls around May 27. If you have not arranged your Qurbani yet, you have a few days. This guide covers who is required to give, what your options are in the U.S., and how to give through a domestic or international Islamic charity.
May 24, 2026
Islamic Wills in New Jersey (2026 Guide)
Muslim families in New Jersey can create a legally enforceable Islamic will that follows faraid, Islamic inheritance law. Without one, New Jersey's intestate succession rules take over and they almost never match what Islamic law specifies. Here's what you need to know.
May 22, 2026
Is Mastercard (MA) Stock Halal? (2026 Guide)
Mastercard passes Shariah screening under AAOIFI guidelines. Like Visa, it earns network fees rather than interest, making it one of the cleaner large-cap halal stocks for Muslim investors.
May 22, 2026
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