Charity (zakat) and the pilgrimage (Hajj)

Learn the basics of Zakat

• Zakat is an obligatory annual charity of 2.5% of your savings and qualifying wealth.
• It is due once your wealth passes a minimum threshold called the nisab (Glossary). Nisab is a weight of gold or silver (Islamic Relief Canada gives 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver), so its dollar value changes with metal prices. Charities use slightly different figures.
• The wealth has to have been held for one full lunar year (hawl) before Zakat is due on it.
• It is calculated on savings, investments, gold, silver, and business assets. Your home, your car, and your everyday belongings are not counted.
• It goes to eight categories of people named in the Quran (9:60), including the poor, people in debt, and travelers who are stranded.
• Many Muslims pay their Zakat during Ramadan, though it can be paid at any time of year.

Learn how to calculate your Zakat

• Add up your total qualifying wealth: savings accounts, cash, investments, gold, silver, and business inventory.
• Subtract debts that are due now. Charities and scholars treat long-term debts such as a mortgage or student loan differently, so ask.
• If what is left is above the nisab threshold, pay 2.5% of that total as Zakat.
• Canadian charities such as National Zakat Foundation Canada and Muslim Welfare Canada publish calculators. They use slightly different nisab figures, so results can differ.
• Keep your first year simple and stick to cash savings. The finer details can wait until your finances get more complicated.

Understand Sadaqah (Glossary) (voluntary charity)

• Alongside obligatory Zakat, Islam strongly encourages voluntary giving, called Sadaqah.
• Sadaqah can be money, and it can also be a kind word, helping someone carry their groceries, or smiling at somebody.
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Every act of goodness is charity' (Sahih Muslim 1005).
• You can give Sadaqah at any time, in any amount, to anyone in need.
• Get into the habit of giving regularly, even if the amounts are small. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said the deeds Allah loves most are the regular ones, even if they are few (Sahih al-Bukhari 6464).

Learn about the Hajj pilgrimage

• Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, that every Muslim must make once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able.
• It falls in the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah and lasts five to six days.
• Pilgrims wear plain white garments (ihram (Glossary)), which put everyone on the same footing before Allah whatever their wealth or status.
• The rituals include circling the Ka'bah (Glossary) (tawaf (Glossary)), walking between the hills of Safa and Marwa, standing at the plain of Arafat, and the symbolic stoning of the devil.
• Hajj ends with Eid (Glossary) al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, which Muslims celebrate worldwide.
• Ask anyone who has been, and most will tell you nothing else in their life compares.

Plan for the future

• Nobody is pushing you to go now. Many Muslims save for years first.
• Hajj becomes obligatory only when you are physically and financially able, meaning you can afford it without shortchanging your own needs or the people who depend on you.
• Before you plan, check the Government of Canada's travel advice for Saudi Arabia on travel.gc.ca, because the advisory level changes. When we checked on September 23, 2026, the page (last updated September 17, 2026) advised avoiding non-essential travel to Saudi Arabia.
• Hajj needs a Hajj visa and a booking through the official Nusuk Hajj platform, which sells packages from authorised service providers. Nusuk listed Canada among its serviced countries for the 2026 season. Check whether it does for the year you plan, and remember that registering does not guarantee a place.
• In the meantime, Umrah (Glossary) (the lesser pilgrimage) can be done at any time of year, and travel.gc.ca says it can be done on any visa type.
• Open a Hajj savings fund, even for a small amount each month. It adds up.
• Read about Hajj, watch documentaries, and listen to people who have been. It gets you ready long before you go.