Continuation of the discussion regarding the author's statement: "And if he exchanges it for its kind, the lunar year is calculated based on its period."
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The Shaykh : A detailed explanation is given in this matter, is that correct? If they are all trade goods, the lunar year is not interrupted. If they are all grazing livestock, the lunar year is not interrupted. If he exchanges grazing livestock for trade goods, or trade goods for grazing livestock, the lunar year is interrupted. That is the complete answer, very well.
If he exchanges gold for silver, yes, yes, does the lunar year get interrupted or not? He has a nisab of gold and he exchanges it for a nisab of silver during the lunar year. Does the lunar year get interrupted? Why?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Because he exchanged it for something of a different kind. Yes, this opinion is the correct one. The school of thought holds that gold and silver are of the same kind, and that one completes the other in the nisab, and that one is built upon the other in the lunar year. The correct view is that they are two different kinds, that one does not complete the other in the nisab, and that one is not built upon the other in the lunar year. This is the correct view.
Very well, a man has, O Abd al-Rahman, a nisab of sheep. When the lunar year was about to end, he feared that a sheep would become obligatory upon him, so he went and exchanged it for a nisab of trade sheep. Does the zakah drop or not? Did you understand the question? Did you understand the question? He has forty grazing sheep, and near the end of the lunar year, he exchanged them for forty trade sheep so that the sheep would not become obligatory upon him.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Meaning, the lunar year is not interrupted. Why? Because he did that to escape the zakah. Devising a scheme to drop an obligatory duty does not drop it, just as devising a scheme to make a forbidden thing permissible does not make it permissible. This is a principle clarified by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), where he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:, very well.
A man has a nisab of silver, O Ali? He has a nisab of silver, and during the lunar year, he bought trade goods with it. Does the lunar year get interrupted or not? He has silver dirhams reaching the nisab, and during the lunar year, he bought trade goods with them, meaning, trade capital. Does the lunar year get interrupted or not?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : It gets interrupted. Why? Provide the reasoning, otherwise the ruling is based on no foundation.
The questioner : ... .
How?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Absolutely not, we want the meaning. Express it however you wish.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Because he exchanged it for something of a different kind? Do you say that? Very well, what do you say about its ruling and its reasoning? Abdullah? Wrong, what is the correct answer?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : We have two opinions now. One opinion is that the lunar year is interrupted because he sold it for something of a different kind. A second opinion is that the lunar year is not interrupted because zakah is due on the value of the trade goods, not on their physical form, so it is as if he exchanged dirhams for dirhams. The correct view is the second one. So, gold, silver, and trade goods are considered as one thing, especially trade goods. As for gold and silver, you have learned that the correct view is that they are two different kinds. But if they are intended for trade, they become like one kind.
And the summary is that trade goods—pay attention to this—zakah is due on their value, so the lunar year is not interrupted if he exchanges dirhams for trade goods or dinars for trade goods. Very well, the discussion is finished...
If he exchanges gold for silver, yes, yes, does the lunar year get interrupted or not? He has a nisab of gold and he exchanges it for a nisab of silver during the lunar year. Does the lunar year get interrupted? Why?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Because he exchanged it for something of a different kind. Yes, this opinion is the correct one. The school of thought holds that gold and silver are of the same kind, and that one completes the other in the nisab, and that one is built upon the other in the lunar year. The correct view is that they are two different kinds, that one does not complete the other in the nisab, and that one is not built upon the other in the lunar year. This is the correct view.
Very well, a man has, O Abd al-Rahman, a nisab of sheep. When the lunar year was about to end, he feared that a sheep would become obligatory upon him, so he went and exchanged it for a nisab of trade sheep. Does the zakah drop or not? Did you understand the question? Did you understand the question? He has forty grazing sheep, and near the end of the lunar year, he exchanged them for forty trade sheep so that the sheep would not become obligatory upon him.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Meaning, the lunar year is not interrupted. Why? Because he did that to escape the zakah. Devising a scheme to drop an obligatory duty does not drop it, just as devising a scheme to make a forbidden thing permissible does not make it permissible. This is a principle clarified by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), where he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Do not do what the Jews did, so that you make lawful the prohibitions of Allah by the slightest of ruses
لا ترتكبوا ما ارتكبت اليهود فتستحلوا محارم الله بأدنى الحيلA man has a nisab of silver, O Ali? He has a nisab of silver, and during the lunar year, he bought trade goods with it. Does the lunar year get interrupted or not? He has silver dirhams reaching the nisab, and during the lunar year, he bought trade goods with them, meaning, trade capital. Does the lunar year get interrupted or not?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : It gets interrupted. Why? Provide the reasoning, otherwise the ruling is based on no foundation.
The questioner : ... .
How?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Absolutely not, we want the meaning. Express it however you wish.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Because he exchanged it for something of a different kind? Do you say that? Very well, what do you say about its ruling and its reasoning? Abdullah? Wrong, what is the correct answer?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : We have two opinions now. One opinion is that the lunar year is interrupted because he sold it for something of a different kind. A second opinion is that the lunar year is not interrupted because zakah is due on the value of the trade goods, not on their physical form, so it is as if he exchanged dirhams for dirhams. The correct view is the second one. So, gold, silver, and trade goods are considered as one thing, especially trade goods. As for gold and silver, you have learned that the correct view is that they are two different kinds. But if they are intended for trade, they become like one kind.
And the summary is that trade goods—pay attention to this—zakah is due on their value, so the lunar year is not interrupted if he exchanges dirhams for trade goods or dinars for trade goods. Very well, the discussion is finished...