Are the sheep and camels in the desert considered grazing animals, and is zakah due on them, given that their owner feeds them for more than half the year, and perhaps for the entire year?
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The questioner : He says: O honorable Shaykh! Are the sheep and camels in the desert considered grazing animals? And is zakah due on them, given that their owner feeds them for more than half the year, and perhaps for the entire year? It is known that generally they are kept for breeding and trade?
The Shaykh : Yes. We have discussed this before. But perhaps the questioner did not pay attention. If these grazing animals are for breeding and are fed for more than half the year, then there is no zakah on them, because they are not legally grazing animals. If they graze for most of the lunar year, then zakah is due on them. As for those kept for trade, where a man trades in sheep, selling these today and buying others in their place, or similar, then zakah is due on them in all cases, even if he feeds them, because they are commercial assets, like the assets of shopkeepers. Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes. We have discussed this before. But perhaps the questioner did not pay attention. If these grazing animals are for breeding and are fed for more than half the year, then there is no zakah on them, because they are not legally grazing animals. If they graze for most of the lunar year, then zakah is due on them. As for those kept for trade, where a man trades in sheep, selling these today and buying others in their place, or similar, then zakah is due on them in all cases, even if he feeds them, because they are commercial assets, like the assets of shopkeepers. Yes.