The Obligation of Zakah in Merchandise for Trade
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The Shaykh : The fourth is merchandise for trade. What is merchandise for trade? Merchandise for trade is not defined by a specific count, but by a limit. Pay attention: merchandise for trade is not defined by a count, but by a limit. What is its limit? Anything a person trades in is merchandise for trade. Anything he trades in is merchandise for trade. So, if we suppose that this man trades in real estate, selling land, selling villas, selling buildings, then the land, villas, and buildings are considered merchandise for trade. If we suppose that this man trades in cars, buying and selling cars, then the cars he has are merchandise for trade. If we suppose that this man trades in vessels, then the vessels he has are merchandise for trade. If he trades in fabrics, then the fabrics are merchandise for trade, and so on. So, merchandise for trade is not limited in number, but it is counted, correct?
The student: The opposite.
The Shaykh : The opposite. It is not counted, but it is limited. Its limit is anything prepared for trade and in which a person trades; that is merchandise for trade. Now, is it possible for gold and silver to be merchandise for trade? Yes, it is possible. Gold and silver can be merchandise for trade. For this reason, if a person has gold that does not reach the nisab in itself, but it is merchandise for trade and reaches the nisab by its value, is zakah obligatory on it or not?
The student: It is obligatory.
The Shaykh : Now, how many types did we mention? Four. Let us stick to these four, because it is time for questions, and the discussion on this will be, if Allah wills, in the next lesson.
The student: The opposite.
The Shaykh : The opposite. It is not counted, but it is limited. Its limit is anything prepared for trade and in which a person trades; that is merchandise for trade. Now, is it possible for gold and silver to be merchandise for trade? Yes, it is possible. Gold and silver can be merchandise for trade. For this reason, if a person has gold that does not reach the nisab in itself, but it is merchandise for trade and reaches the nisab by its value, is zakah obligatory on it or not?
The student: It is obligatory.
The Shaykh : Now, how many types did we mention? Four. Let us stick to these four, because it is time for questions, and the discussion on this will be, if Allah wills, in the next lesson.