The gift of water has the power to revitalize entire communities through the ultimate Sadaqah Jariyah chain reaction. Clean water leads to healthier livestock, improved health, more children in school, more women in the workforce, better agriculture, and sustainable livelihoods. By building a well in an underserved community, you will receive the reward for each of these positive outcomes, insha’Allah.

Zakat, the third pillar of Islam, is the obligatory wealth Muslims must give to certain underprivileged groups. Unlike a tax or charity, Zakat is a compulsory act of worship commanded by Allah (swt). It purifies our wealth both physically and spiritually, cleansing our hearts of selfishness while ensuring that society's poorest are protected from hunger and destitution.

Muslims who have reached the age of puberty and are of sound mind are obligated to pay Zakat, provided they meet the required Nisab threshold. To be eligible, your wealth must exceed the Nisab value for an entire lunar year. Once this condition is met, your Zakat payment becomes due.

Your Zakat payment is a compulsory act of worship, which includes Zakat on Gold. You are required to pay 2.5% of the current value of the gold you own, provided it meets the Nisab threshold and has been in your possession for a full lunar year.

The Nisab, the minimum amount of wealth required for Zakat to be payable, is defined as:

- 87.48g of gold
- 612.36g of silver

You can base your Nisab on either the gold or silver value, typically calculated in your local currency. Most scholars recommend using the lower value (silver), as it allows more people to pay Zakat and increases the number of individuals who can benefit from it.

Zakat is due a year after your wealth reaches the Nisab threshold. To remain eligible, your wealth must stay above the Nisab for a full lunar year. For example, if your wealth exceeds the Nisab in Ramadan, your Zakat payment will be due the following Ramadan, as long as your wealth remains above the threshold. If your wealth drops below the Nisab at any point, you are no longer eligible to pay Zakat. Once your wealth exceeds the Nisab again, you will begin counting 12 lunar months from that point to determine when your next Zakat payment is due.

The value of Zakat is 2.5% of your personal excess wealth. For example, if your excess wealth totals $1,000, your Zakat payment would be $25.

Zakat is due on the following:

- Gold and silver, including ornaments or jewelry containing gold and/or silver
- Cash held at home or in bank accounts
- Stocks and shares owned directly or through investment funds
- Money lent to others
- Business stock in trade and merchandise
- Agricultural produce
- Livestock animals such as cows, goats, and sheep
- Pensions
- Property owned for investment purposes

The categories of people and causes entitled to receive Zakat, as described in the Qur'an (9:60), are:

1. The Poor: Those with little or no income.
2. The Needy: Those struggling to meet their basic needs.
3. Administrators of Zakat: Those responsible for collecting, storing, guarding, registering, and distributing Zakat.
4. Those Whose Hearts are to Be Reconciled: Those new to Islam.
5. Those in Bondage: The freeing of those who are enslaved or held captive.
6. Those in Debt: As long as the debt was not incurred through acts against Islamic law.
7. In the Way of Allah: Promoting Islamic values.
8. The Wayfarer: Anyone stranded while traveling for lawful purposes and in need of financial assistance.

If you have missed paying Zakat in previous years when you were eligible, you must pay what you owe as soon as possible. The missed Zakat will be calculated in the same way as your current Zakat, but you should use the Nisab value from the year you missed, not the current Nisab value

Zakat is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is an obligatory annual payment made to purify wealth above the Nisab threshold. Sadaqah, on the other hand, is not obligatory; it is a voluntary act of kindness made with the intention of helping others.

We often get asked, “Why are WOH CANADA’s prices so low, yet we provide detailed photos and videos within 90 days of building a well in Pakistan? How are we able to do this when others charge twice as much for a well?” The answer lies in our volunteer-driven model. WOH CANADA was founded and is managed by volunteers, meaning we have $0 in administrative costs. We also use volunteer-built software to track donations from start to finish. The only payments we make are to the contractors who dig the wells—no one on our board takes any donor money. When a donor entrusts us to build a well and honor a loved one, our sole focus is to complete that donation with high-quality materials. If any funds remain due to economies of scale, we reinvest them to build more wells and handpumps.

After thorough vetting by our partner teams in Pakistan, we hire trusted contractors to construct the wells. WOH CANADA, along with our on-ground team, oversees the entire building process to ensure integrity, transparency, and quality at every step.

Yes, the wells are regularly maintained. After construction, we conduct periodic checks every few months to ensure the water remains pure. In addition to our inspections, WOH CANADA trains local community members on how to maintain the wells and address any minor challenges that may arise. These community members also have direct access to WOH CANADA’s team, allowing them to reach out for support if any issues develop with the water systems.

Yes, absolutely. Once the well is built, we send you pictures documenting the entire process. You can expect approximately 20-30 photos, covering everything from the initial drilling to the construction of the well, and even families benefiting from the clean water.

Yes, your donation is Zakat eligible. After consulting with scholars, we confirm that donations made to WOH for the purpose of providing drinking water to families from low socioeconomic backgrounds meet the conditions of Zakat.