I bought a house with three date palms in it that have fruit. Do I have to pay zakah, and how do I determine the nisab? I harvest them by cutting the branches. Is there an estimate for the zakah, and is it paid from each type according to its proportion, or are they combined?
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The questioner : May Allah reward the honorableThe Shaykh : I bought a house three years ago, and praise be to Allah, it has three productive date palms of two varieties, and they have a lot of fruit. Do I have to pay zakah in this situation? If the answer is yes, and people are very ignorant of this, then I ask questions about it. How do I know if the nisab is reached or not, since I harvest them by cutting the branches? Second: How is the zakah estimated? Is it paid from each type according to its proportion, or are they combined and paid from one type? Is it permissible for me to pay in cash? And what do I do about the past years?
The Shaykh : What the questioner mentioned about the ruling on these date palms in houses being obscure to many people is correct. Many people have seven date palms, or ten, or more or less, and their fruit reaches the nisab, but they do not know that there is zakah in them. They think that zakah is only in orchards. Zakah is due on date palm fruit whether it is in an orchard or in houses. Accordingly, let him bring a person with experience to estimate the fruit of these date palms: does it reach the nisab or not? If it reaches the nisab, he must pay its zakah. But how does he pay it when he harvests it by cutting the branches, as the questioner said? I see that in such a case, the value of the date palm is estimated, and half of one-tenth is paid from its value, because that is easier for the owner and more beneficial for the needy. That is, giving money is more beneficial for the needy, and valuing it in money is easier for the owner. So this fruit is valued in money, and its zakah is paid from the money. But what is the amount of the zakah? The amount of the zakah is five percent. What is the zakah on wealth? Two and a half percent. But this has five percent, because the zakah on fruits is half of one-tenth or one-tenth. Half of one-tenth is what percent? Five. Five out of ten. So this is an important question.
As for the years that have passed and he did not pay zakah because he was ignorant, he should now estimate in his mind how much he thinks the past fruits were and pay their zakah now. He is not sinful for the previous delay in paying zakah, because he may have been ignorant of it. But he must pay the zakah for what has passed. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward the honorableThe Shaykh : We are a group of young men who go out hunting. Sometimes we set a target from a tree or a stone, or any object other than an animal, and we compete to see who hits that target. Whoever misses it has to provide a sacrificial animal, a dinner, or a certain amount of money. Is this action permissible? What is the rule regarding the matter of pledges (rahn) that is widespread among people, or what they call "rights" (haqq)? If any matter arises between him and his brother, he says, "You have a pledge on you," or "You have a right on you regarding such and such." I hope you will clarify this issue because of its prevalence. May Allah guide you.
The Shaykh : Yes. As for shooting at a target or a tree, where whoever hits it gets such and such, and whoever misses it has to give such and such, it is permissible. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1700Hasan (Darussalam) And crossbows today are of the arrow type. If people shoot at each other and the loser has to give something and the winner gets something, then there is no harm in it and no blame, because it is something that the Shari'ah has made permissible.
As for what he mentioned about what happens between people, I see that it is consuming wealth unjustly. Because some people have started making everything a "right," saying it is a right when it is false. If he speaks a word and makes a mistake, wanting to call his companion whose name is Abdullah, and he says, "O Abd al-Rahman," the other says, "That is not my name Abd al-Rahman, my name is Abdullah. You have a right on you." Whenever a mistake happens, even a small one, he says, "You have a right on you," and forces him to pay. This is not permissible. By what right is it permissible for you to take his wealth? If he wants to host a feast for you, let him do so without this method. That is, some people say, "I would like to make a mistake, or maybe I will make a mistake on purpose so that I have a right on me." We say: No, without this. Say, "O people, I am inviting you to a feast on such and such day," and the matter is settled. But to make every word a "right," as you claim it is a right, when it is not, this is not correct, and it is consuming wealth unjustly. Yes, if a genuine mistake occurs, meaning in a serious matter, and men intervene between the aggressor and the one against whom aggression was committed, and they reconcile them with money or a feast, or something similar, then there is no harm. Yes.
The Shaykh : What the questioner mentioned about the ruling on these date palms in houses being obscure to many people is correct. Many people have seven date palms, or ten, or more or less, and their fruit reaches the nisab, but they do not know that there is zakah in them. They think that zakah is only in orchards. Zakah is due on date palm fruit whether it is in an orchard or in houses. Accordingly, let him bring a person with experience to estimate the fruit of these date palms: does it reach the nisab or not? If it reaches the nisab, he must pay its zakah. But how does he pay it when he harvests it by cutting the branches, as the questioner said? I see that in such a case, the value of the date palm is estimated, and half of one-tenth is paid from its value, because that is easier for the owner and more beneficial for the needy. That is, giving money is more beneficial for the needy, and valuing it in money is easier for the owner. So this fruit is valued in money, and its zakah is paid from the money. But what is the amount of the zakah? The amount of the zakah is five percent. What is the zakah on wealth? Two and a half percent. But this has five percent, because the zakah on fruits is half of one-tenth or one-tenth. Half of one-tenth is what percent? Five. Five out of ten. So this is an important question.
As for the years that have passed and he did not pay zakah because he was ignorant, he should now estimate in his mind how much he thinks the past fruits were and pay their zakah now. He is not sinful for the previous delay in paying zakah, because he may have been ignorant of it. But he must pay the zakah for what has passed. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward the honorableThe Shaykh : We are a group of young men who go out hunting. Sometimes we set a target from a tree or a stone, or any object other than an animal, and we compete to see who hits that target. Whoever misses it has to provide a sacrificial animal, a dinner, or a certain amount of money. Is this action permissible? What is the rule regarding the matter of pledges (rahn) that is widespread among people, or what they call "rights" (haqq)? If any matter arises between him and his brother, he says, "You have a pledge on you," or "You have a right on you regarding such and such." I hope you will clarify this issue because of its prevalence. May Allah guide you.
The Shaykh : Yes. As for shooting at a target or a tree, where whoever hits it gets such and such, and whoever misses it has to give such and such, it is permissible. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
No stake is acceptable except in archery, racing a camel, and racing a horse.
لا سبق إلا في نصل أو خف أو حافرAs for what he mentioned about what happens between people, I see that it is consuming wealth unjustly. Because some people have started making everything a "right," saying it is a right when it is false. If he speaks a word and makes a mistake, wanting to call his companion whose name is Abdullah, and he says, "O Abd al-Rahman," the other says, "That is not my name Abd al-Rahman, my name is Abdullah. You have a right on you." Whenever a mistake happens, even a small one, he says, "You have a right on you," and forces him to pay. This is not permissible. By what right is it permissible for you to take his wealth? If he wants to host a feast for you, let him do so without this method. That is, some people say, "I would like to make a mistake, or maybe I will make a mistake on purpose so that I have a right on me." We say: No, without this. Say, "O people, I am inviting you to a feast on such and such day," and the matter is settled. But to make every word a "right," as you claim it is a right, when it is not, this is not correct, and it is consuming wealth unjustly. Yes, if a genuine mistake occurs, meaning in a serious matter, and men intervene between the aggressor and the one against whom aggression was committed, and they reconcile them with money or a feast, or something similar, then there is no harm. Yes.