From what I read of the stories of the Prophet and the Sahaba, the average person didnt really have a salary. There was no concept of a set amount of money. The society did seem a bit dependent on bartership.
2.5% is pretty difficult to calculate as well. Do we have any historical sources on how they managed this? Was the average muslim advanced enough in mathematics to be able to calculate this sum?
How about in the middle ages, the Ottoman empires, or the Mughals. Also did the Kings and the Sultans adhere to this as well?
Historically, Zakat was calculated based on a set minimum threshold, or nisab, for each asset class. If a Muslim met the minimum nisab (85 grams of pure gold) for personal wealth, business wealth, and discovered wealth, one had to pay zakat. The calculations for the rates of zakat back then were based on measures common in trade in the city of Madinah. You can read more here: