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Resplendent Ramadan

Return to the Generous Qur'an

Make a Ramadan Gift

Join us for a month of knowledge, worship, and charity. Learn more about Zaytuna College's online programs on the Qur'an and other Ramadan offerings below.


YouTube Live Course

Self-Knowledge: Towards a Qur’anic Anthropology

In this unique Ramadan course, Self-Knowledge: Towards a Qur’anic Anthropology, Hamza Yusuf examines Imam al-Raghib al-Asfahani’s Tafsil al-nash’atayn wa tahsil al-sa‘adatayn (An exposition of the two creations with means to the acquisition of the two felicities). Through the lens of the Qur’an, Imam al-Raghib, an eleventh-century polymathic exegete, presents a masterful study of the human being. Unlike any other work in the Islamic tradition, this short book leads a serious student into a completely Qur’anic perspective on what it means to be human, but more importantly, it explicates the means to achieve our God-given potential to realize true humanity (insaniyyah) in this life. In a time when postmodernist and nihilistic ideas of the self confound many, Imam al-Raghib provides a much-needed antidote by grounding us in true Qur’anic knowledge of the self, which results in knowledge of the universe, and in the meeting place of those two knowledges, one arrives at certainty of the Creator of one’s self and one’s world.

Remind Me Sign up for live class reminders

Live Class Schedule

Session 1

Friday, March 24th

5:30 pm PDT | 8:30 pm EDT

Session 2

Wednesday, March 29th

5 pm PDT | 8 pm EDT

Session 3

Friday, March 31st

5 pm PDT | 8 pm EDT

Session 4

Friday, April 7th

5 pm PDT | 8 pm EDT

Session 5

Tuesday, April 11th

5:30 pm PDT | 8:30 pm EDT

Session 6

Wednesday, April 12th

5:30 pm PDT | 8:30 pm EDT

Session 7

Friday, April 14th

5 pm PDT | 8 pm EDT

Session 8

Monday, April 17th (Laylat al-Qadr)

5 pm PDT | 8:30 pm EDT

Session 9

Wednesday, April 19th

5 pm PDT | 8:30 pm EDT

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Support Zaytuna College this Ramadan

Your donation ensures a debt-free education for the Muslim spiritual and intellectual leaders of tomorrow.

Make a Gift

Ramadan Book Club Sessions

This month's live sessions take place on Sunday, April 2nd and Sunday, April 16th at 3 pm PDT via YouTube and the Book Club dashboard.

Journey through the Qur'an via the masterful translation of the late Dr. Thomas Cleary in these Ramadan sessions of the First Command Book Club. Tune in via the Book Club dashboard. Not a member? Join us via Zaytuna College's YouTube channel for a look inside the Book Club.

About the First Command Book Club

The first revealed verse and God’s first command to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was to read: “Read! In the name of your Lord....” The Prophet ﷺ built the first Muslim community with circles of knowledge, where God’s sacred text was studied and memorized. His commitment to literacy was further exemplified when he freed prisoners who taught ten Muslims to read. This legacy of learning continued for centuries, as eager Muslims risked their lives on arduous journeys to sit with notable scholars from around the world. The Islamic civilization established some of the most elaborate and prolific libraries, with several still preserved to this day. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  is reported to have said, “Wisdom is the lost property of the believer. Wherever he finds it, he is most deserving of it.” In realizing God’s first command and the unrelenting pursuit of knowledge, Muslim scholars studied texts from many traditions, including the Greco-Roman. Today, this precedent is more important than ever. Reviving a holistic intellectual literacy allows the community to engage in civil discourse, cultivate virtue, and promote empathy. To that end, the First Command Book Club has carefully selected books that, God willing, will stimulate the mind and soften the heart, bringing us closer to realizing the universal truths established by our Creator. 

The First Command Book Club is a member benefit for the 12000 Strong community.

Learn More and Join

Sign Up Make a monthly donation to Zaytuna College for automatic enrollment into the Book Club.


Zaytuna College Bookstore

Every purchase supports Zaytuna College.

Shop Ramadan Gifts

Our gift sets have been created from a variety of carefully sourced products and vendors with the intention to help you find the selection that suits you best. These sets speak to many facets of Muslim life, from prayer, remembrance, and study, to the sunnah of grooming and self-care.

Visit Us In-person or Online Shop Online We are open Tuesdays & Thursdays from 1 to 3 pm and Saturdays & Sundays from 10 am to 3 pm.
2401 Le Conte Avenue Berkeley, California 94709


Calculate Your Zakat

This Zakat Calculator has been designed in consultation with the faculty of Islamic law at Zaytuna College. It calculates your zakat based on the legal school of your choice: Hanafi, Maliki, or Shafi’i.1

To begin, pick a nisab standard that you prefer to use (gold or silver)2 as well as your preferred legal school. After that, enter the monetary value of your assets below to determine whether you have reached nisab or not; if nisab is reached, the calculator will determine how much zakat you owe.

We respect your privacy and neither collect nor save any personal financial information entered in this calculator.

As of September 22, 2023, the the gold standard (about 85 g of gold) is approximately $5,263 and the silver standard (about 595 g of silver) is approximately $452.

If you don’t follow a particular legal school, any of these choices is a viable option.

If you have not maintained nisab for the past 12 months, you do not owe zakat unless you follow the Hanafi school. In the Hanafi school, zakat is owed if the nisab is reached at the beginning and end of the 12–month period, even if one’s wealth dips below nisab in between those periods.

Assets

If you don’t have some of the assets listed below, simply enter “0” in those fields. If your assets include livestock or farm produce, please consult your local imam.

Your savings include any cash on hand, the account balances of all of your banking accounts (e.g., checking, savings, and business), and any other surplus savings.

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This includes all of your retirement funds, including your 401(k), pension, etc. You may subtract the estimated taxes owed and, if you have to withdraw from the account to pay the zakat due, you may also subtract any penalties that would be incurred.

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This includes the current value of all stocks that are permissible to own under the shariah.

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Do not include the value of other forms of jewelry, such as precious stones and other rare metals.

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Deferred income includes any overdue payments to you, such as unpaid invoices or personal loans owed to you, that are due by the date of your zakat payment and that you expect to receive soon.

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Enter the value of goods sold regularly, even if they haven’t been sold yet. For non-rotating goods that are sold only when demand is high, enter a value only if the goods are sold.

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Liabilities

Only enter debts you owe that you intend to pay at the time of your zakat payment, which will reduce any of the surplus savings entered above

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When you give your zakat to Zaytuna College, you support deserving students in accordance with the traditional schools of Islamic law.

Give Zakat