Nisab

The minimum threshold of wealth that makes Zakat obligatory. Equivalent to the value of 85 grams of gold or 595 grams of silver (whichever is lower). A Muslim whose total qualifying wealth exceeds the Nisab for one full lunar year (Hawl) must pay Zakat at a rate of 2.5%.

The Nisab value fluctuates with gold and silver market prices. As of 2026, the gold Nisab is typically between $5,000–$7,000 USD, while the silver Nisab is considerably lower. Most scholars recommend using the silver standard to include more people in the obligation of giving.

Nisab is the wealth threshold that triggers zakat: only Muslims whose zakatable assets meet or exceed it (and hold above it for a lunar year — the hawl) owe the 2.5%. The Prophet set it in two commodities: 20 gold dinars (85 grams of gold) or 200 silver dirhams (595 grams of silver). Because gold and silver prices diverged dramatically in the modern era, the two benchmarks now produce very different dollar thresholds — the silver nisab sits far lower than the gold one — and scholarly practice splits: many contemporary scholars and zakat institutions recommend the silver standard for cash-era wealth because it obligates more people and benefits the poor (the classical Hanafi instinct), while others use gold as the more stable measure of real value.

Both positions are legitimate; the practical guidance is to pick one standard, apply it consistently, and check the current dollar value on your zakat anniversary since it floats daily with metal prices — our zakat calculator pulls live nisab values for exactly this reason. Mechanics worth knowing: nisab is measured against your net zakatable assets (cash, investments at market value, gold, business inventory, crypto — minus immediately due debts by most methodologies); dipping below nisab mid-year restarts the hawl in the majority view; and nisab applies per person, not per household, so spouses calculate separately on their own assets.