The Maliki position on the zakah of trade goods is a weak opinion

Question:
His Eminence the Shaykh / Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz (may Allah preserve him), peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings. After that:
We inform your Eminence that we own some lands in several different areas of the Kingdom for large sums of money, and no one is willing to buy them due to the current market conditions, or because of their location. Some of them have been held for a very long time and have not been sold, and we pay zakah on them. We have heard that some shaykhs of the Maliki school permit exempting them from zakah until they are sold.
Therefore, we request your Eminence’s opinion on this matter, and may Allah reward you with the best reward for us and for all the Muslims, and peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings.

Answer:
And upon you be peace, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, after that:
It is obligatory to pay its zakah according to its value, whether high or low, as long as it is prepared for sale; for Abu Dawud and others narrated from Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: And there is a corroborating narration from the hadith of Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) , and because the meaning necessitates that; for trade is conducted with currencies and goods.
As for the statement of the Malikis in this matter, it is a weak opinion, contrary to the scriptural evidence. And success is from Allah, and peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz