If the cost of cultivation exceeds the production, how does he pay its zakah?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : A man has a farm with date palms that produce dates once a year, and he sells this fruit. How does he pay its zakah? But there is a point: cultivating these date palms may cost more than the value of the fruit, in terms of machinery, workers, electricity, and so on. What is the ruling in this case?
The Shaykh : Yes, first we say: if what you mentioned is true, that the cost of this farm is more than its production, let us ask: does the man expect the increased expenditure to continue? Or is it because in its establishment and beginning, the costs are higher? If it is the former, then we see that he should not continue.
The student: No.
The Shaykh : A moment, wait, my brother, wait, my brother. If it is the former, we see that he should not continue, because continuing in this state means wasting money, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade wasting money. But if he hopes that in the future the production will be greater than the expenditure, let him continue, because everything is difficult at its beginning and requires many expenses, and then when it stabilizes, the production becomes greater. At that time, we say: continue, and you must pay zakah, even if what you spent on this farm is many times more than the production. You must pay zakah on the fruit, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to send collectors to take zakah from owners of livestock and owners of fruit without asking them: do you have debts that offset this or not? And because the need of the poor and the desire of the poor is attached to what is seen and apparent, it is not possible to prevent the payment of zakah. So he owes the zakah.
How does he pay it? We say first: pay the zakah on this fruit, the zakah of fruits. The obligatory amount in the zakah of fruits is either one-tenth if it is watered without expense, or half of one-tenth. If you pay this when... or at its harvest and you take the money, pay zakah on this money if a lunar year passes over it, paying it as zakah on money. How much is in it? I ask you, how much is in the money?
The questioner : One quarter of one-tenth.
The Shaykh : One quarter of one-tenth, that is right.
The questioner : But the second point is that it has been old for about fifteen years, but it is not always the second hypothesis; sometimes he makes a little profit, and sometimes it breaks even, meaning.
The Shaykh : We have no concern with his profit or loss. These are fruits that Allah has brought out for you, and Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:267] So let him purify. If he says: I did not pay zakah in the past and I do not know, we say: the matter is broad, and praise be to Allah. Calculate, calculate, and account for yourself with a precise calculation, and if you increase, it is better for you.
The questioner : About the previous?
The Shaykh : About the previous: if it was obligatory upon you, you have performed it, and if it was more than the obligatory amount, it is better. Yes, ease.
The Shaykh : Yes, first we say: if what you mentioned is true, that the cost of this farm is more than its production, let us ask: does the man expect the increased expenditure to continue? Or is it because in its establishment and beginning, the costs are higher? If it is the former, then we see that he should not continue.
The student: No.
The Shaykh : A moment, wait, my brother, wait, my brother. If it is the former, we see that he should not continue, because continuing in this state means wasting money, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade wasting money. But if he hopes that in the future the production will be greater than the expenditure, let him continue, because everything is difficult at its beginning and requires many expenses, and then when it stabilizes, the production becomes greater. At that time, we say: continue, and you must pay zakah, even if what you spent on this farm is many times more than the production. You must pay zakah on the fruit, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to send collectors to take zakah from owners of livestock and owners of fruit without asking them: do you have debts that offset this or not? And because the need of the poor and the desire of the poor is attached to what is seen and apparent, it is not possible to prevent the payment of zakah. So he owes the zakah.
How does he pay it? We say first: pay the zakah on this fruit, the zakah of fruits. The obligatory amount in the zakah of fruits is either one-tenth if it is watered without expense, or half of one-tenth. If you pay this when... or at its harvest and you take the money, pay zakah on this money if a lunar year passes over it, paying it as zakah on money. How much is in it? I ask you, how much is in the money?
The questioner : One quarter of one-tenth.
The Shaykh : One quarter of one-tenth, that is right.
The questioner : But the second point is that it has been old for about fifteen years, but it is not always the second hypothesis; sometimes he makes a little profit, and sometimes it breaks even, meaning.
The Shaykh : We have no concern with his profit or loss. These are fruits that Allah has brought out for you, and Allah the Exalted said:
O you who have believed, spend from the good things which you have earned and from that which We have produced for you from the earth
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْفِقُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَمِمَّا أَخْرَجْنَا لَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَرْضِThe questioner : About the previous?
The Shaykh : About the previous: if it was obligatory upon you, you have performed it, and if it was more than the obligatory amount, it is better. Yes, ease.