Zakat Nisab UK 2026: Gold vs Silver and Which Threshold to Use
In June 2026 the gold nisab in the UK is roughly £8,400 (87.48g of gold) and the silver nisab is roughly £965 (612.36g of silver), per the National Zakat Foundation. Both move daily with the metal price. Most UK scholars and zakat charities tell you to use the lower silver figure, because it captures more wealth for the poor — so if your net zakatable assets clear about £965 and you have held them for a full lunar year, zakat is due at 2.5%.
What "nisab" actually means
Nisab is the minimum amount of wealth a Muslim must own — after debts and basic needs — before zakat becomes obligatory. It is a floor, not an allowance. If your net zakatable wealth sits below nisab for the whole lunar year, you owe nothing. If it sits at or above nisab and stays there for a full lunar year, you pay 2.5% of the total.
The Prophet ﷺ fixed nisab in two physical commodities, not pounds: gold and silver. The classical weights, as used by the National Zakat Foundation and the major UK zakat charities, are:
- Gold: 87.48 grams (equivalent to 20 mithqāl / 7.5 tola).
- Silver: 612.36 grams (equivalent to 200 dirhams / 52.5 tola).
You then convert whichever weight you are using into pounds at today's market rate. A small number of bodies round to 85g gold and 595g silver; both NZF and Islamic Relief UK use the 87.48g / 612.36g figures, which is the convention this guide follows.
Gold vs silver nisab in 2026 — the live numbers
Because gold and silver have drifted apart in value over centuries, the two thresholds are now wildly different. Here is how they translate into pounds at recent UK rates. Treat every pound figure as a snapshot, not a constant.
| Standard | Weight | UK rate used | Nisab in GBP (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 87.48 g | ~£95.9/g (NZF realistic-sale basket) | ~£8,390 |
| Gold | 87.48 g | ~£106.4/g (24K spot, 4 Jun 2026) | ~£9,310 |
| Silver | 612.36 g | ~£1.58/g (NZF realistic-sale basket) | ~£965 |
| Silver | 612.36 g | ~£1.76/g (London spot, 4 Jun 2026) | ~£1,078 |
Sources: NZF nisab page (uses a basket of realistic resale values, typically ~10% under spot, because that is what a dealer would actually pay you); live spot figures from London precious-metal feeds on 4 June 2026. The gap between the two metals is roughly 8–9× — which is exactly why the choice of standard matters.
Why most UK scholars recommend the silver standard
At the time of the Prophet ﷺ, the gold nisab and the silver nisab were worth about the same — a dinar and the equivalent dirhams bought roughly the same goods. That parity has long since broken. Today the gold threshold is around £8,400 while the silver threshold is around £965. They are no longer two ways of measuring the same wealth; they are two very different bars.
The dominant view among UK zakat bodies — including the National Zakat Foundation and Islamic Relief UK — is to use the silver standard. The reasoning is rooted in the principle that, where opinions differ, we lean toward what most benefits the poor (aslah lil-fuqarā'):
- The lower silver threshold means more people qualify to pay zakat, so more wealth reaches the needy.
- It is the more cautious choice for the payer: you are less likely to wrongly exempt yourself.
- It reflects the Hanafi position, the dominant school among many British Muslim communities, which uses silver when a person's wealth is mixed across cash, gold, silver and trade goods rather than gold alone.
What counts toward nisab — and what's excluded
Zakat is due on wealth that grows or could be put to productive use. It is not due on the things you live in, wear and use. Get this list right before you start tallying.
| Counts toward nisab (zakatable) | Excluded (not zakatable) |
|---|---|
| Cash — current/savings accounts, premium bonds, cash at home | Your primary home you live in |
| Gold and silver (jewellery, coins, bullion) | Personal car, clothing, furniture, household goods |
| Money held in a Cash ISA or halal Stocks & Shares ISA | Tools and equipment used to earn (not for resale) |
| Shares — see the rules below for how much | Outstanding debts others owe that you don't expect back |
| Money in a halal pension you can access / its zakatable portion | Personal-use items not bought for trade |
| Stock-in-trade / business inventory at resale value | The capital value of property you rent out (only the saved net rent is zakatable) |
| Money owed to you that you expect to recover | Liabilities falling due now (deducted before you compare to nisab) |
How shares are treated
If you hold shares as a long-term investor (for dividends/growth, not for active trading), the common UK scholarly approach is that you pay zakat only on the zakatable portion of the company behind each share — broadly its cash and liquid current assets, not its buildings and machinery. NZF and Islamic Relief commonly cite a rule-of-thumb of around 25–40% of the market value where you cannot work out the exact figure. If you actively trade shares (buying to sell), you pay 2.5% on the full market value, like any trade goods. When unsure, use the conservative higher figure or check the company's balance sheet.
Worked example: tallying cash, ISA, gold and shares against nisab
Meet Aisha, 34, a pharmacist in Birmingham. She wants to know whether zakat is due on her 1 Ramadan zakat date. She uses the silver standard, so her nisab today is about £965. Here is how she tallies up.
Step 1 — add her zakatable assets:
- Current account: £1,800
- Savings account (halal, no interest taken): £4,200
- Halal Stocks & Shares ISA, held as a long-term investor: market value £6,000. She can't get the exact balance-sheet figure, so she applies the conservative 40% zakatable portion → £6,000 × 0.40 = £2,400
- Gold jewellery she owns: 40g at ~£106/g (spot) = ~£4,240
- A friend owes her £500 she expects to be repaid: £500
Total zakatable wealth = 1,800 + 4,200 + 2,400 + 4,240 + 500 = £13,140
Step 2 — deduct immediate liabilities. She owes £900 on her credit card due this month. Net wealth = 13,140 − 900 = £12,240.
Step 3 — compare to nisab. £12,240 is comfortably above the silver nisab of ~£965, so zakat is due (assuming she has been above nisab for the full lunar year).
Step 4 — calculate 2.5%. £12,240 × 0.025 = £306.00. That is Aisha's zakat for the year.
Note: had Aisha (wrongly) used the gold nisab of ~£8,400, she would still owe zakat here because she is above both thresholds. The standard only changes the outcome for people sitting in the gap — say between £965 and £8,400 — where the silver standard makes zakat due and the gold standard would not. That gap is precisely where the poor either gain or lose support, which is why silver is recommended.
The lunar (hawl) year and choosing a fixed zakat date
Zakat is only due once your zakatable wealth has stayed at or above nisab for one full lunar year — the hawl. The lunar (Hijri) year is about 354 days, roughly 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year, so your zakat date drifts earlier each solar year.
You don't watch the balance every day. The rule that almost everyone follows in practice:
- Note the date you first owned wealth above nisab (your "anchor" date).
- If you are still above nisab on the same lunar date one year later, zakat is due on the total you hold that day — not just the amount you held a year ago.
- If your wealth dips below nisab and back up during the year, the dominant view (Hanafi) is that the hawl is not reset as long as you still own some zakatable wealth and you are above nisab at both the start and end of the year.
- Nisab is fixed in metal, not pounds: 87.48g gold or 612.36g silver, converted at today's rate.
- In June 2026 that's roughly £8,400 (gold) vs £965 (silver) — both move daily, so always re-check on the day you pay.
- Most UK scholars and charities recommend the silver standard because the lower bar captures more wealth for the poor.
- Add cash, savings, ISA, gold/silver, the zakatable portion of shares, and recoverable debts; exclude your home, car and personal-use items; deduct immediate liabilities, then compare to nisab.
- Zakat is 2.5% of the net total, due once that wealth has been above nisab for one full lunar (hawl) year — pick a fixed date and stick to it.
Get the free UK zakat checklist
A one-page worksheet to tally your assets, apply the silver nisab and work out your 2.5% — built for the way British Muslims actually hold money.
You're on the list — we'll be in touch.
Frequently asked questions
What is the zakat nisab in the UK for 2026?
As of early June 2026, the silver nisab is roughly £965 (612.36g of silver) and the gold nisab is roughly £8,400 (87.48g of gold), based on the National Zakat Foundation's daily figures. Both change every day with the metal price, so check the live nisab on the date you calculate rather than relying on a fixed number.
Should I use the gold or silver nisab?
Most UK scholars and zakat charities recommend the lower silver standard, because it means more people qualify to pay and more wealth reaches the poor. The gold standard is only suggested for someone whose entire wealth is in gold with no cash or other assets — which is rare in practice. For mixed wealth, use silver.
Does jewellery I wear count toward nisab?
Gold and silver jewellery is zakatable in the dominant (Hanafi) view, whether or not you wear it — its weight counts toward nisab and toward your 2.5%. Jewellery made of other materials (platinum, diamonds, costume pieces) is generally not zakatable unless held for trade. Charities such as NZF and Islamic Relief follow the position that gold and silver jewellery is included.
Is my home or car included?
No. The home you live in, your personal car, clothing, furniture and everyday household items are excluded — zakat is on growing or surplus wealth, not on what you use to live. Only the value of a second property held for resale (or the saved net rent from a let property) becomes zakatable.
How much zakat do I pay on shares and my ISA?
If you hold shares or a Stocks & Shares ISA as a long-term investor, you pay 2.5% on the zakatable portion of the holding — broadly the company's cash and liquid assets, often estimated at around 25–40% of market value where the exact figure isn't available. If you actively trade shares, pay 2.5% on the full market value. A Cash ISA is counted in full like any savings.
What is the hawl and when is zakat due?
The hawl is one full lunar year (about 354 days). Zakat becomes due when your net zakatable wealth has stayed at or above nisab for a complete hawl. Most people fix a single date each year — many choose 1 Ramadan — value everything they own on that day, and pay 2.5% of the net total.