New
New
Year 10
Eduqas

Zakah and its uses

I can explain the importance and use of zakah and khums as charitable taxes within Islam.

New
New
Year 10
Eduqas

Zakah and its uses

I can explain the importance and use of zakah and khums as charitable taxes within Islam.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Zakah is one of the Five Pillars and Ten Obligatory Acts within Islam.
  2. Zakah is a compulsory charitable tax paid by Muslims of 2.5% of their wealth in a year.
  3. Zakah is used to support those in need in the Ummah and wider world.
  4. Khums is an additional tax paid by Shi'a Muslims of 20%.

Keywords

  • Giving alms - giving to those in need, e.g., money, food, time; this is a key practice in Islam

  • Khums - 'one fifth'; an additional 20% tax paid by Shi'a Muslims as alms

  • Zakah - 'to purify'; a charity tax where Muslims give 2.5% of their yearly wealth as alms

  • Ummah - 'community'; the worldwide community of Muslims who share a common religious identity

Common misconception

Zakah and khums are voluntary donations to charity.

Zakah is obligatory in Sunni Islam and both zakah and khums are obligatory in Shi'a Islam. Additional voluntary donations can be made to charity as well and is known as sadaqah.


To help you plan your year 10 religious education lesson on: Zakah and its uses, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Students can research some of the projects around the world that zakah money supports, as well as looking at zakah and khums calculations online to see how much of someone's wealth is given away through these obligatory percentages.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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5 Questions

Q1.
Muslims are required to perform prayers every day.
Correct Answer: five, 5, Five
Q2.
Which of the following best describes the importance of daily prayer in Islam?
it replaces all other pillars
it is optional but recommended
Correct answer: it shows obedience and connection to Allah
Q3.
Where are Muslims allowed to pray?
only outdoors
Correct answer: anywhere clean
only in mosques
Q4.
Which statement about prayer in Sunni and Shi’a Islam is true?
Correct answer: there are slight differences in practice
they have identical practices
only Sunnis pray
Q5.
Friday congregational prayer held at the mosque is called prayers.
Correct Answer: Jummah, jummah

Assessment exit quiz

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5 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following is true in both Sunni and Shi'a Islam?
only zakah is obligatory
only khums is obligatory
Correct answer: zakah is obligatory in Sunni Islam; zakah and khums in Shi'a Islam
Q2.
Zakah is part of the Five Pillars of Islam and the Ten Acts in Shi’a Islam.
Correct Answer: Obligatory, obligatory
Q3.
Why is zakah considered a form of worship?
it involves prayer
Correct answer: it shows obedience to God and helps others
it is voluntary
Q4.
What percentage of income is given as khums?
2.5%
7.5%
10%
Correct answer: 20%
Q5.
In Islam, voluntary charity is known as , while zakah and khums are obligatory.
Correct Answer: sadaqah, Sadaqah