Effective zakat: how to direct your zakat to the charities that help most

You give your zakat every year, often during Ramadan, often to the same organization. It's an act of faith, a pillar of Islam. The question of effectiveness doesn't come up naturally. And yet, if Islam asks you to fulfill this obligation, doesn't it also ask you to do so in the way that best helps those who need it? Muslim researchers, brought together at the Muslim Impact Lab, have begun exploring this question seriously, combining Islamic jurisprudence with evidence on charity impact.

Romain Barbe

Founder · Mieux Donner · Reading time: 8 min

What is zakat, and what impact can it have?

A pillar of Islam: 2.5% of savings, once a year

Zakat al-Mal is the third pillar of Islam. Every adult Muslim of sound mind whose savings have exceeded the nisab threshold for a full lunar year must pay it. That threshold corresponds to the value of 85 grams of gold, roughly 11,700 euros in 2026.[3] The amount due is 2.5% of that net savings.

Zakat is not a voluntary donation. It is a religious obligation. Islamic jurisprudence often describes it as a right the poor hold over the wealth of the well off, not a favor granted to them.

A massive philanthropic flow whose impact is rarely questioned

Worldwide, estimates from the UN and the Islamic Development Bank put the annual volume of zakat between $550 billion and $600 billion.[1] That makes it one of the largest philanthropic transfers on the planet, renewed every year as a religious obligation. Yet as the Muslim Impact Lab, a research organization focused on the intersection of Islam and effective philanthropy, points out: very few donors ask how that money is actually used once it's given.

Most major Islamic organizations that collect zakat convert it into in-kind goods, health programs, or education projects. These approaches aren't without value, but they deserve to be examined in light of the available evidence on what actually works.

What islamic jurisprudence says: who can receive zakat?

The eight categories of recipients defined in the Quran

The Quran (surah At-Tawbah, 9:60)[2] defines eight categories of people eligible to receive zakat, known as the asnaf: the poor (al-fuqara), the needy (al-masakin), those who collect and distribute zakat, people whose hearts are being won over to Islam, those in bondage seeking freedom, those overwhelmed by debt, those striving in the way of God, and stranded travelers in need.

The most debated condition concerns the recipients' religion. The majority position across schools of Islamic jurisprudence is that zakat must go to Muslims in need. Some scholars allow exceptions, particularly for non-Muslims in extreme distress, but that isn't the dominant view.

What fiqh says about direct cash transfers

There's also a debate over the form the payment should take. Should it be given as cash directly, or as goods in kind? Dr. Shahrul Hussain, an Islamic scholar trained at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, offers an answer grounded in the texts.[4] In his view, organizations have no right to decide on behalf of recipients how their zakat will be used. Zakat belongs to the recipients, and it should be handed over in cash so they can spend it as they see fit.

Zakat and direct transfers: where religious obligation meets proven effectiveness

The GiveDirectly zakat fund: certified by Islamic scholars

Building on this, the Muslim Impact Lab, in partnership with GiveDirectly, developed dedicated zakat funds. These programs are reviewed by qualified Islamic scholars at Amanah Advisors, who ensure the funds go exclusively to Muslim families living in extreme poverty, delivered as direct cash transfers.[5] Operating costs are covered by other sources, so 100% of each donation reaches recipients.

In 2026, the fund is targeting Mozambique, one of the poorest countries in the world, where Muslim communities in the north face multiple overlapping crises. GiveDirectly regularly ranks among the top charities evaluated by GiveWell, the leading independent evaluator in global health and development.

An important note for donors giving from France

What about maximizing the impact of your other donations?

Sadaqa: a voluntary gift with no restriction on recipients

Beyond the obligatory zakat, Islam strongly encourages sadaqa: a voluntary gift that can be given at any time, to anyone in need, regardless of their religion. Sadaqa isn't bound by the asnaf restrictions. It can go to charities whose beneficiaries are poor, with no requirement tied to faith.

Within this framework, Muslims committed to effective giving, including those at the Muslim Impact Lab,[8] direct their donations to the world's most effective charities, independent of zakat-specific rules.

Some of the most effective charities serve the poorest people in the world

Against Malaria Foundation, one of the most rigorously evaluated charities in the world according to GiveWell,[6] distributes insecticide-treated bed nets in sub-Saharan African countries among the hardest hit by malaria. Its main countries of operation include Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Gambia, where the Muslim population ranges from 64% to more than 95% of the total, according to Pew Research Center data.[7]

These charities don't shape their programs around beneficiaries' religion. They target the most vulnerable people, wherever the need is greatest. Some Muslim donors, following broader interpretations of zakat rules, consider giving to these charities compatible with that obligation, given who the beneficiaries are. This remains an open theological debate. What the evidence does allow us to say with more confidence is that these donations save lives in measurable ways.

How to give in practice

Frequently Asked Questions