Zakat on Silver: Nisab (595g), 2.5% Rate and How to Calculate It
How much zakat you owe on silver coins, bars, cutlery and jewellery, the 595 g silver nisab, the purity table and a worked example.
Is silver zakatable?
Yes. Silver is a zakatable metal in every form: bars, coins, bullion, silverware and jewellery, as well as ETFs or accounts backed by allocated physical silver.
As with gold, scholars differ on jewellery in genuine everyday personal use. The Hanafi school treats all silver jewellery as zakatable; other schools exempt worn jewellery. Paying on everything is the cautious position.
The silver nisab: 595 grams
The silver nisab is 595 g of pure silver (200 dirhams). Multiply 595 by the current silver price per gram in your currency to get the threshold in money.
Because silver is far cheaper than gold today, the silver nisab is a much lower monetary threshold than the gold nisab — zakat becomes due sooner and more recipients benefit.
Compare your net zakatable wealth — silver, gold, cash, savings, investments and trade goods, minus short-term debts — with that threshold at your annual zakat date.
How to calculate zakat on silver
1. Weigh your silver in grams and note the fineness of each item (999, 925 sterling, 800, etc.).
2. Convert each weight to pure silver: grams x fineness. A 500 g sterling (925) tray equals 500 x 0.925 = 462.5 g of pure silver.
3. Multiply the total pure grams by today's silver price per gram to get the market value.
4. Add that value to your other zakatable assets, subtract deductible debts, and compare with the nisab.
5. If you are at or above the nisab, pay 2.5% of the net total.
Worked example
You own 1,200 g of sterling silver (925). Pure silver = 1,200 x 0.925 = 1,110 g. At a silver price of 0.90 per gram, the value is 999.
The silver nisab at the same price is 595 x 0.90 = 535.50. Your wealth is above it, so zakat is due.
Zakat = 999 x 2.5% = 24.98 payable at your annual zakat date.
Which silver price should you use?
Use the market price of the metal on your zakat due date, not the price you paid and not the retail replacement price. For silverware and jewellery the resale (scrap) value is the reference, since craftsmanship, branding and retail margins are not part of the metal's worth.
The calculator fetches live gold and silver quotes automatically and stores the price used for each year, so past calculations remain reproducible.
Silver fineness table
Multiply the weight of each item by its fineness to get the pure silver content.
| 999 (fine silver) | 99.9% (0.999) |
|---|---|
| 958 (Britannia) | 95.8% (0.958) |
| 925 (sterling) | 92.5% (0.925) |
| 900 (coin silver) | 90.0% (0.900) |
| 800 | 80.0% (0.800) |
| Silver plated | Negligible — not zakatable |
Frequently asked questions about zakat on silver
Nisab and the 2.5% rate
How much zakat do I pay on silver?
2.5% of the market value of your silver on your annual zakat date, provided your net zakatable wealth reaches the nisab.
How many grams of silver is nisab?
595 grams of pure silver, equivalent to the classical 200 dirhams.
Do I compare only my silver to the nisab?
No. Add silver to your gold, cash, savings, investments and trade goods, subtract short-term debts, then compare that net total with the nisab.
Is zakat on silver due every year?
Yes, for each lunar year (hawl) your wealth stays at or above the nisab. Silver held long term is reassessed at every annual date.
Silver nisab vs gold nisab
Why is the silver nisab lower than the gold nisab?
The two thresholds were of similar value in the prophetic era, but silver has since fallen sharply against gold. In money terms 595 g of silver is now worth far less than 85 g of gold.
Which basis should I choose?
Both are valid. Many contemporary scholars recommend the silver nisab because it makes zakat due sooner and benefits more recipients; the gold nisab is the classical choice for wealth held mainly in gold.
I own both gold and silver — do I calculate twice?
No. Value both at market, add them to your other assets and compare a single net total against your chosen nisab.
Can I switch basis between years?
You can, but keeping one basis makes your history comparable. The calculator records the basis used for each year so past figures stay traceable.
Weights, fineness and prices
How do I convert sterling silver to pure silver?
Multiply the weight by the fineness. Sterling is 0.925, so 400 g of sterling equals 370 g of pure silver.
Should I round the weight or the zakat amount?
Keep weights and prices exact and round only the final payment, always upward. Rounding up slightly is a safeguard; rounding down risks paying less than due.
Do I deduct handles, stones or wooden parts?
Yes. Non-silver components are excluded unless the whole item is trade stock. Weigh only the silver content.
Are numismatic coins valued at collector price?
If held as an investment or trade stock, use the market value a buyer would pay, including the collector premium. If held only as metal, the metal value is enough.
Edge cases
Is silver-plated cutlery zakatable?
No. Plating contains a negligible amount of metal. Only solid silver items count.
What about silver ETFs or digital silver?
Yes, if the holding is backed by allocated physical silver you can claim, its market value is zakatable at 2.5%.
Is silverware I use for guests zakatable?
Solid silver dishes and cutlery remain stored wealth and are zakatable, even when used occasionally.
I bought silver mid-year — when is it zakatable?
It joins your existing zakat pool and is assessed at your usual annual date; you do not start a separate lunar year for each purchase.
Can I pay zakat in silver instead of money?
Yes, you may give 2.5% of the metal itself, but most people pay the cash equivalent because it is easier for recipients to use.
Enter your silver weight and value in the calculator to get your zakat amount instantly.