What is the ruling on zakah in various types of crops, such as vegetables and fruits, and is there a difference in what Allah brings forth for people from the earth, some of which is subject to zakah from its own kind?

The questioner : His third question asks: What is the ruling on zakah in various types of crops, such as "vegetables and fruits", and is there a difference in what Allah brings forth for us from the earth, some of which is subject to zakah from its own kind and some of which is not?

The Shaykh : This issue is one in which the scholars have differed greatly, and the stronger view in my opinion is that zakah is not obligatory except in what is eaten and stored, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): The wasq is sixty sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg) by the sa' of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, what is not eaten and not stored does not fall under this description, as it is neither measured in wasqs nor measured in volume. Some scholars hold that zakah is obligatory in everything that comes out of the earth, while others hold that it is obligatory only in specific types of grains. However, what appears to me is that it is obligatory in everything that is measured in volume and stored, as indicated by the hadith of Abu Hurayrah: And Allah knows best.