The Meaning of His Statement: "Leave a Third for the Appraisers of Zakah"
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The statement of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to the appraiser: (Leave them a third) Does this mean that this portion is exempt from zakah? If not, what is the benefit of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) command?
He is asking about the zakah of fruits and flowers. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to send someone to appraise the fruits for their owners.And he says: (When you appraise, take [the zakah] and leave a third. If you do not leave a third, leave a quarter) Does this mean that there is no zakah in a third of these fruits?Or that the meaning is: There is zakah in them, but leave a third of the zakah for them to dispose of as they wish?There are two opinions among the scholars on this: The first opinion is that the meaning is that the zakah on a third or a quarter of the fruits is dropped from them. So, if we estimate that the zakah amounts to ninety sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg), we drop thirty sa' from him. If we do not drop the thirty, we drop the quarter.
The second opinion: That the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) intention in his statement: (Leave a third. If you do not leave a third, leave a quarter) is that we leave a third of the zakah for them, and that the zakah is obligatory on the wealth in full, but we leave them a third or a quarter to dispose of as they wish, giving it to whomever they choose among relatives or people they know, or the like, so that he is free in distributing it. This is the correct opinion; because the generality of the other evidences in which the Messenger (may Allah praise and bless him) said: (In what is watered by rain, the tenth is due, and in what is watered by irrigation, half the tenth) is a comprehensive general rule. Thus, zakah is obligatory on these fruits in full, but we leave a third or a quarter of the zakah for the owner of the fruits so that he may give it to whomever he loves.
He is asking about the zakah of fruits and flowers. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to send someone to appraise the fruits for their owners.And he says: (When you appraise, take [the zakah] and leave a third. If you do not leave a third, leave a quarter) Does this mean that there is no zakah in a third of these fruits?Or that the meaning is: There is zakah in them, but leave a third of the zakah for them to dispose of as they wish?There are two opinions among the scholars on this: The first opinion is that the meaning is that the zakah on a third or a quarter of the fruits is dropped from them. So, if we estimate that the zakah amounts to ninety sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg), we drop thirty sa' from him. If we do not drop the thirty, we drop the quarter.
The second opinion: That the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) intention in his statement: (Leave a third. If you do not leave a third, leave a quarter) is that we leave a third of the zakah for them, and that the zakah is obligatory on the wealth in full, but we leave them a third or a quarter to dispose of as they wish, giving it to whomever they choose among relatives or people they know, or the like, so that he is free in distributing it. This is the correct opinion; because the generality of the other evidences in which the Messenger (may Allah praise and bless him) said: (In what is watered by rain, the tenth is due, and in what is watered by irrigation, half the tenth) is a comprehensive general rule. Thus, zakah is obligatory on these fruits in full, but we leave a third or a quarter of the zakah for the owner of the fruits so that he may give it to whomever he loves.