Grade 7 islamic religious education – Zakat Quiz

1. What is zakat?

A voluntary gift given for celebrations
A special tax paid only by government employees
A fixed, compulsory charity to purify wealth and help the needy
A type of prayer performed after fasting
Explanation:

Zakat is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It is an obligatory (compulsory) annual charity meant to purify a Muslim's wealth and to help the poor and needy.

2. Who is obliged to pay zakat?

Muslims who own wealth above the nisab and have held it for one lunar year
Only government officials
Only people who own a business
Every person living in a Muslim country
Explanation:

Zakat becomes obligatory for Muslims who possess at least the nisab (minimum amount) of wealth and have had it for one lunar (Hijri) year.

3. What does the term 'nisab' mean in zakat?

The annual date for giving zakat
The minimum amount of wealth a person must have before zakat is due
The person who collects zakat
A special prayer said when giving zakat
Explanation:

Nisab is the threshold value of wealth; only when a Muslim's qualifying wealth equals or exceeds the nisab and is held for a lunar year does zakat become due.

4. What is the usual zakat rate for cash, savings and business wealth?

2.5%
25%
0.5%
10%
Explanation:

The standard rate for zakat on savings, cash, gold (above nisab), and business wealth is 2.5%, which is one quarter of one tenth of the wealth.

5. How is zakat on most agricultural produce normally calculated?

50% of the harvest
Always 2.5% regardless of how it is grown
Only given if the farmer sells the crops
10% if watered by rain and 5% if irrigated by artificial means
Explanation:

Classical rulings say agricultural produce is due at 10% (one-tenth) if it depends on natural rainfall, and 5% (one-twentieth) if it is irrigated by the farmer's effort or paid water.

6. Which of the following is one of the categories of people who can receive zakat?

The very rich in the community
Owners of large businesses
Government ministers
Those in debt who cannot repay
Explanation:

The Quran lists categories eligible for zakat; one of them is people who are in debt and unable to pay, so zakat can help them.

7. When is zakat usually due on qualifying wealth?

Only at the end of the Gregorian year
Immediately after every purchase
Every ten years
After holding the qualifying wealth for one lunar year (hawl)
Explanation:

Zakat on zakatable wealth becomes due after the owner has possessed that wealth for one full lunar (Hijri) year.

8. What is the main difference between zakat and sadaqa?

Zakat is always small; sadaqa is always large
Only non-Muslims give sadaqa
Zakat is obligatory while sadaqa is voluntary
Sadaqa must be given to family only
Explanation:

Zakat is a compulsory act of worship with set rules, while sadaqa is voluntary charity given anytime and in any amount.

9. Which types of wealth are generally subject to zakat?

Only gifts from relatives
Only salaries
Only money kept at home
Cash, gold, livestock, crops and business stock when they meet the nisab and time conditions
Explanation:

Zakat applies to many kinds of wealth—cash, gold and silver, livestock, agricultural produce and business inventory—if they reach the nisab and are held for the required time.

10. How do you calculate the amount of zakat to pay on qualifying wealth?

Multiply total wealth by 10
Divide total wealth by 2
Multiply qualifying wealth by 0.025 (2.5%)
Pay as much as you like
Explanation:

For most zakatable wealth like savings and business assets, the correct method is to calculate 2.5% of the qualifying amount.

11. Who should determine the current value when calculating nisab and zakat?

The government only
The owner using current market values or trusted prices
Only the local imam can calculate it
A guess without checking prices
Explanation:

An individual calculates nisab and zakat using current market prices for gold, silver, crops, or goods; in practice mosques or zakat agencies can help, but the owner starts with market value.

12. What is one purpose of paying zakat?

To avoid doing daily prayers
To purify one’s wealth and support the poor
To increase one’s social status
To pay school fees only
Explanation:

Zakat serves to purify the giver's wealth and redistribute resources so the poor and needy are supported, strengthening community solidarity.

13. If someone refuses to pay zakat even though they own nisab, what is the religious consequence described in teachings?

They are praised by scholars
They automatically go to paradise
They are forced to pay double the next day
It is considered a sin and they will be accountable before Allah
Explanation:

Religious teachings state that neglecting an obligatory duty like zakat is sinful; the person is accountable and should repent and pay what is due.

14. How should zakat on business stock be treated?

Calculated at 2.5% on the value of trade goods if they meet the nisab and time conditions
Paid at a special rate of 15%
Not paid because business is separate from religion
Only paid on profits, not stock
Explanation:

Business stock (trade goods) is zakatable; if it meets nisab and has been held for the hawl, zakat is due at the usual rate of 2.5% on its value.

15. If a person’s debts reduce their wealth below the nisab, what happens to their obligation to pay zakat?

They must still pay full zakat
Debts are ignored when calculating zakat
They are not obliged to pay zakat because net wealth is below nisab
They become required to pay twice next year
Explanation:

When calculating nisab, immediate debts that are due can be deducted. If after deduction the person’s net wealth is below the nisab, zakat is not obligatory.

16. Who collected zakat in early Islamic history and can collect it today in local communities?

Only kings can collect it
Local community leaders, mosque committees or recognised zakat agencies
Foreign organisations only
School teachers
Explanation:

Historically the state appointed collectors, but in modern times local mosque committees or registered zakat agencies and trusted community leaders often collect and distribute zakat.

17. How can zakat help communities in Kenya?

By being spent on luxury items
By increasing taxes
By supporting the poor with food, school fees, health care and small businesses
By funding only international trips
Explanation:

Zakat, when properly distributed, can help reduce poverty by providing basic needs, paying school fees, supporting health care and helping people start small income-generating activities.

18. Which calendar is usually used to count the one year (hawl) for zakat?

The Chinese lunar calendar
The Gregorian solar calendar (January–December)
The old local harvest calendar
The Islamic Hijri lunar calendar
Explanation:

Zakat timing is based on the Islamic (Hijri) lunar year, so the hawl is counted using the lunar months.

19. If a person owns 90 grams of gold and has had it for one lunar year, must they pay zakat?

No, zakat is only for money
No, because gold is not zakatable
Yes, because 90 grams exceeds the nisab of 85 grams and zakat is due
Yes, but only if they are a government worker
Explanation:

Classically the nisab for gold is around 85 grams. If someone holds 90 grams of gold for a lunar year, it exceeds nisab and zakat at 2.5% becomes due on its value.

20. Who is not required to pay zakat?

A Muslim who owns wealth below the nisab
A rich businessman who has met the nisab
Someone who owns gold over the nisab
A person who has had nisab for one lunar year
Explanation:

Only those whose qualifying wealth meets or exceeds the nisab and is held for a lunar year are obligated to pay zakat. Those below the threshold are not required.

21. Where can Muslims in Kenya safely pay their zakat today?

Only to political parties
By hiding it at home
Only directly to a foreign bank
To local mosque committees, recognised zakat agencies or approved community centres
Explanation:

To ensure zakat reaches eligible recipients, many Muslims use local mosque committees or registered zakat agencies and trusted community organisations to collect and distribute it.

22. How does zakat differ from an ordinary tax?

Zakat is a religious obligation meant to purify wealth and help the needy, while tax is a government revenue used for public services
Taxes are optional but zakat is mandatory
Zakat is always higher than taxes
Zakat is collected for road repairs only
Explanation:

Zakat is an act of worship with spiritual aims and specific recipients; taxes are levied by governments to pay for public services and are not the same as zakat.

23. Which kinds of animals are commonly mentioned as being subject to zakat in classical rulings?

Insects and poultry only
Camels, cattle and sheep
Wild animals in the forest
Only pets like cats and dogs
Explanation:

Classical Islamic law lists certain livestock such as camels, cattle and sheep as animals on which specific zakat rules apply when their numbers reach set thresholds.

24. When calculating nisab, should immediate debts that must be paid soon be considered?

Only if the debt is more than ten years old
No, debts are never considered
Yes, immediate debts can be deducted from your total wealth before checking nisab
Debts increase your nisab automatically
Explanation:

When determining whether your wealth reaches the nisab, immediate debts that you must pay can be subtracted from your assets. If net wealth is below nisab, zakat is not due.

25. At what point in a person's life does the obligation of zakat normally begin?

At birth
Only after retirement
When they reach puberty (become baligh) and possess nisab for one lunar year
Only after they move to a city
Explanation:

Zakat is obligatory for a Muslim once they are legally mature (have reached puberty), are sane, and possess the nisab for the required lunar year.