What is the wisdom behind the Lawgiver not specifying a fixed amount for the zakah of trade goods?
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The questioner : What is the speed like? Now, my question here, with the precision of the question: If a person decides in his trade that he always buys with cash, and in his mind he thinks, "My brother, why should I always have a cash reserve, and then the lunar year passes and I have to pay it out, leaving it all as trade goods?" Is there any harm in this? It is not that his intention here is partial; rather, part of his intention is that he does not want the lunar year to catch him while he has cash instead of goods. Knowing that he intends to pay... on the trade goods, but not in a specific amount. Here, again, there is... and he is given the choice from the beginning.
The Shaykh : If the intention is not to pay in trade goods, but to pay the zakah of trade goods, does the ruling change?
The questioner: Of course.
The Shaykh : And I agree with you: Of course, the matter is permissible; because I look at the issue: What is the wisdom behind the Wise Lawgiver not imposing a fixed, specified zakah on trade goods, forcing the merchant to pay it out just as he is forced to pay the zakah of the two currencies at two and a half percent? What is the wisdom?
The wisdom behind that is to encourage merchants to put their capital into use; because that is more beneficial for the society that includes the poor, the rich, and those of moderate means. And I say this in response to some superficial people who say: "When you say that trade goods do not have to be converted to cash, does that not mean you have deprived the poor of their right to the money mentioned in the Qur'an?" I say: No. I ask an economic question: There are two merchants, or rather, more accurately, two rich men. Each has a million. One hoards his million in an iron safe, but he pays his zakah. The other converts his million into trade goods, into projects from which the general people of the society benefit. Which is more beneficial for the society—the poor, the middle class, and the rich—the one who hoarded or the one who spent?
The questioner : Even if he pays it in trade goods, less:
The questioner : My dear sir, all the theories of modern economics say this.
The Shaykh : That is it, and therefore our Lord knows best what He has legislated.
The questioner : ... The text of the hadith?
The Shaykh : Yes, good., , so here the person is , we ask Allah to make us of this type of believers.
The Shaykh : If the intention is not to pay in trade goods, but to pay the zakah of trade goods, does the ruling change?
The questioner: Of course.
The Shaykh : And I agree with you: Of course, the matter is permissible; because I look at the issue: What is the wisdom behind the Wise Lawgiver not imposing a fixed, specified zakah on trade goods, forcing the merchant to pay it out just as he is forced to pay the zakah of the two currencies at two and a half percent? What is the wisdom?
The wisdom behind that is to encourage merchants to put their capital into use; because that is more beneficial for the society that includes the poor, the rich, and those of moderate means. And I say this in response to some superficial people who say: "When you say that trade goods do not have to be converted to cash, does that not mean you have deprived the poor of their right to the money mentioned in the Qur'an?" I say: No. I ask an economic question: There are two merchants, or rather, more accurately, two rich men. Each has a million. One hoards his million in an iron safe, but he pays his zakah. The other converts his million into trade goods, into projects from which the general people of the society benefit. Which is more beneficial for the society—the poor, the middle class, and the rich—the one who hoarded or the one who spent?
The questioner : Even if he pays it in trade goods, less:
The questioner : My dear sir, all the theories of modern economics say this.
The Shaykh : That is it, and therefore our Lord knows best what He has legislated.
The questioner : ... The text of the hadith?
The Shaykh : Yes, good.
There is no believing servant but that he has a sin which he habitually commits from time to time, or a sin which he is constantly engaged in and does not leave until he leaves the world. Indeed, the believer is created as one who is tested, one who repents, and one who forgets; when he is reminded, he remembers.
ما من عبدٍ مؤمنٍ إلا وله ذنبٌ يعتاده الفينة بعد الفينة أو ذنبٌ هو مقيمٌ عليه لا يفارقه حتى يفارق الدنيا إن المؤمن خلق مفتنًا توابًا نسيًا إذا ذُكّر ذكرThere is no believing servant but that he has a sin which he habitually commits from time to time, or a sin which he is constantly engaged in and does not leave until he leaves the world.
ما من عبدٍ مؤمنٍ إلا وله ذنبٌ يعتاده الفينة بعد الفينة أو ذنبٌ هو مقيمٌ عليه لا يفارقه حتى يفارق الدنياIndeed, the believer is created as one who is tested, one who repents, and one who forgets; when he is reminded, he remembers.
إن المؤمن خلق مفتنًا توابًا نسيًا إذا ذُكّر ذكر
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.