Nisab: Gold & Silver Threshold for Zakat

By the Editorial Team · reviewed against our sources · updated September 2026 · guidance, not a fatwa

What is nisab?

Nisab is the Arabic term for the minimum quantity of wealth that a Muslim must possess, after covering essential needs and debts, before the obligation of Zakat applies. It functions as an exemption line drawn by the Sharia: someone whose surplus wealth falls below nisab is not considered wealthy enough to give Zakat and may instead be among those eligible to receive it. Someone at or above nisab, by contrast, has crossed into the category of people from whom the annual 2.5% charity is collected.

The concept protects the poor from being burdened with an obligation meant for those with means, while ensuring that surplus wealth circulates through the community every year. Understanding nisab is therefore the first step in any Zakat calculation, and it comes before working out how to calculate Zakat on your specific assets. For the broader picture of the obligation itself, see our overview of what Zakat is.

The two nisab standards: gold and silver

Classical Islamic law fixes nisab against two precious metals that served as the currencies of the Prophet’s era. The gold standard is set at 20 mithqal, and the silver standard at 200 dirhams. These were not arbitrary numbers; they reflected the point at which a household held meaningful surplus in the monetary system of seventh-century Arabia.

Because paper money, bank balances, and digital wealth did not exist then, jurists across all schools convert modern holdings into their gold or silver equivalent to decide whether the threshold is met. The metals themselves remain the anchor. The table below summarises the two standards in the units still used today.

Gold nisab: 87.48 grams explained

The gold nisab is 20 mithqal, which corresponds to approximately 87.48 grams of pure gold. Some institutions round this figure slightly, quoting 85 grams or 87.48 grams depending on the conversion adopted for the mithqal, but 87.48g is the most widely cited value in contemporary Zakat guidance. In troy ounces this is roughly 2.81 oz.

To turn the weight into money, you multiply 87.48 by the current price per gram of gold. If gold trades at, say, 75 currency units per gram, the gold nisab equals 87.48 × 75 = 6,561 units. Only when your net zakatable wealth reaches that figure would Zakat be due under the gold standard. The gold standard is often applied to holdings of physical gold itself; our detailed guide covers Zakat on gold in full.

Silver nisab: 612.36 grams explained

The silver nisab is 200 dirhams, equal to approximately 612.36 grams of pure silver, or about 19.69 troy ounces. As with gold, the currency value is found by multiplying the weight by the live price per gram of silver. Because silver is far cheaper than gold per gram, the silver nisab produces a much smaller monetary threshold.

For example, if silver trades at 0.85 units per gram, the silver nisab equals 612.36 × 0.85 = 520.51 units. That is a fraction of the gold-based figure, which is precisely why the choice of standard matters so much. Physical silver holdings are addressed in our guide to Zakat on silver.

Why many scholars recommend the silver nisab

A significant body of scholars and charitable institutions advises using the silver nisab, especially for cash, savings, and mixed wealth. Three reasons are usually given. First, silver was the most common everyday currency in the Prophet’s time and is the standard most frequently referenced in the relevant narrations. Second, the two metals have drifted far apart in value over the centuries; in the early period the gold and silver nisab were roughly equivalent, but today silver’s threshold is much lower.

Third, and most importantly for the spirit of the obligation, the lower silver threshold means more people qualify to give and therefore more of the poor benefit. Choosing the standard that expands charity is seen by these scholars as the more cautious and generous option. Others respond that using gold better reflects the real purchasing power of surplus wealth today. Both remain defensible positions within mainstream Sunni fiqh.

The gold-vs-silver debate: which standard to use

There is no single binding answer across the Muslim world, and neutral guidance should present the range. As a general pattern: those who prioritise maximising charity, and many contemporary relief organisations, lean toward the silver standard for cash and savings. Those who argue that the silver price has fallen so low that it burdens people of modest means with an obligation the Sharia did not intend may prefer the gold standard.

A common practical rule of thumb is this: if a person holds only cash, or a mix of cash, gold, and silver, many jurists direct them to the lower silver nisab so that Zakat is more likely to be paid. If a person holds gold alone, the gold nisab is applied to that gold. When in doubt, follow the position of the scholars or institution you trust, and apply it consistently year to year.

How nisab is calculated from live prices

Because nisab is fixed by weight of metal, its cash value moves every day with the market. The calculation is straightforward:

• Gold nisab value = 87.48 g × current gold price per gram.
• Silver nisab value = 612.36 g × current silver price per gram.

Use the price for pure metal where possible, and match the purity of your own holdings when valuing them (for instance, 22-karat jewellery is valued at its gold content, not the pure-gold rate). Because the value shifts daily, calculators refresh the figure using a live feed; the widget at the top of this page does exactly that so you do not have to look up the spot price yourself.

A practical tip is to fix the date on which you assess your wealth each year, often your Zakat anniversary, and read the metal price on that same day. This keeps your calculation consistent and defensible, since both your assets and the nisab figure are measured at a single point in time rather than mixed across different dates.

Nisab in different currencies and countries

Nisab has the same weight everywhere, but its local value differs because currencies and even local metal premiums differ. A person in one country converts 87.48g or 612.36g into their own currency using local prices; a person elsewhere does the same in theirs. There is no separate “national nisab” decreed by weight; only the currency conversion changes.

This is why published nisab figures from mosques and charities vary between countries and update through the year. When you see a nisab quoted in dollars, pounds, rupees, ringgit, or dirhams, it is simply the fixed metal weight expressed at that day’s local price. Always check the date of any quoted figure, since a value from months ago may no longer be accurate.

Nisab vs hawl: the two conditions of Zakat

Nisab answers the question “do I own enough?” Hawl answers the question “have I owned it long enough?” Both must be satisfied for Zakat to become obligatory on savings-type wealth. Hawl is the passing of one complete lunar (Hijri) year during which your wealth stays at or above nisab.

The mainstream view is that if your wealth reaches nisab, dips slightly during the year, but is still at or above nisab at the start and end of the lunar year, the hawl is not broken; only if it falls below nisab entirely does the year reset. Note that certain categories, such as agricultural produce, follow different timing rules and are due at harvest rather than after a year. Because the lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, Zakat comes due slightly earlier each Gregorian year.

Worked examples: are you above nisab?

The following worked examples use illustrative sample prices only. Real prices change daily, so treat the numbers as a method to copy, not as current rates.

Notice how Aisha and Bilal hold identical cash but reach opposite conclusions purely because of the standard chosen. This is the clearest illustration of why the gold-vs-silver decision matters, and why many favour silver so that givers like Aisha are not exempted. Once above nisab, Zakat on Aisha’s savings would be 4,000 × 2.5% = 100 units.

Nisab for different asset types

Nisab is assessed on your combined zakatable wealth, not on each asset in isolation. You add together cash, gold, silver, business inventory, and similar liquid assets, then compare the total against a single nisab figure. The table shows how common assets are treated.

Deduct immediate liabilities, such as debts due now, before comparing your net figure to nisab. Whether long-term debts can be deducted is a point of difference among scholars, so follow a consistent, well-grounded position.

Nisab and who receives Zakat

The same threshold that decides who pays also helps identify who may receive. A person whose surplus wealth is below nisab may fall within the categories entitled to Zakat, subject to the fuller conditions of eligibility. Our guide to who is eligible for Zakat explains the eight categories named in the Quran. Note that Zakat al-Fitr, the smaller charity paid at the end of Ramadan, has its own separate rules and does not depend on nisab; see Zakat al-Fitr for details.

Common mistakes when applying nisab

Several errors recur every year. Some people compare only their cash to nisab while ignoring gold or business stock, understating their true position. Others use an outdated nisab figure from months earlier, when the metal price has since moved. A frequent misunderstanding is treating nisab as a deduction, subtracting it from wealth and paying 2.5% of the remainder; in fact, once you are at or above nisab you pay 2.5% of the whole zakatable amount. Finally, mixing standards year to year, gold one year and silver the next, produces inconsistent results; pick a well-founded position and hold to it. To begin your own calculation, return to the Zakat calculator home page and use the tools provided.

This page is educational guidance only and is not a fatwa. Rulings vary by madhhab and individual circumstance; consult a qualified scholar for your situation.

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