Is zakah obligatory on the cultivation of beans, and how is it calculated? Is it true that its zakah is from its value after it is sold, and that the amount is ten percent?
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The questioner : In his first question in his letter, he says: We cultivate beans. Is zakah due on them? And how is it calculated? Some people say that its zakah is from its value after it is sold, and that the amount is ten percent. Is this correct or not?
The Shaykh : Yes, zakah is obligatory on beans because they are a type of grain.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : When it reaches the nisab, which is three hundred sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) by the sa' of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the sa' of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is estimated by weight, but I do not recall the exact amount right now. Perhaps we will clarify it, if Allah wills, at the end of this session or in a future session.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The obligatory amount is one-tenth, meaning ten percent, if it is watered without expense, that is, if it is watered by flowing water or by its roots without irrigation, or by rain. In this case, ten percent is obligatory. However, if it is watered by machines and at an expense to extract the water, then the obligatory amount is half of one-tenth, meaning five percent.
The questioner : Yes, and its zakah is from its kind, not from its value?
The Shaykh : Yes. As for paying the zakah, it is permissible to pay it from the beans themselves, and it is permissible to pay it from its value if it is sold, as Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) explicitly stated the permissibility of paying the value if a person sells his orchard. Paying the value is generally more beneficial for the poor, because if the poor person receives the value, he buys with it what he needs for himself, such as clothing, food, and other things. But if he receives the beans, he may prefer to eat them or he may prefer to sell them, and in that case, he may suffer a loss.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, zakah is obligatory on beans because they are a type of grain.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : When it reaches the nisab, which is three hundred sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) by the sa' of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the sa' of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is estimated by weight, but I do not recall the exact amount right now. Perhaps we will clarify it, if Allah wills, at the end of this session or in a future session.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The obligatory amount is one-tenth, meaning ten percent, if it is watered without expense, that is, if it is watered by flowing water or by its roots without irrigation, or by rain. In this case, ten percent is obligatory. However, if it is watered by machines and at an expense to extract the water, then the obligatory amount is half of one-tenth, meaning five percent.
The questioner : Yes, and its zakah is from its kind, not from its value?
The Shaykh : Yes. As for paying the zakah, it is permissible to pay it from the beans themselves, and it is permissible to pay it from its value if it is sold, as Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) explicitly stated the permissibility of paying the value if a person sells his orchard. Paying the value is generally more beneficial for the poor, because if the poor person receives the value, he buys with it what he needs for himself, such as clothing, food, and other things. But if he receives the beans, he may prefer to eat them or he may prefer to sell them, and in that case, he may suffer a loss.
The questioner : Yes.