Explanation of the author's statement: "And if he bought merchandise with a nisab of currency or merchandise, he builds upon its lunar year; and if he bought it with livestock, he does not build upon it."
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : All right, he says "If he bought merchandise with a nisab of currency" we have finished with that. "If he bought merchandise with a nisab of currency or merchandise, he builds upon its lunar year; and if he bought it" meaning the merchandise, "with livestock, he does not build upon it". He bought merchandise with a nisab of currency. Currency is gold and silver. "Athsman" is the plural of "thaman" (price), and it is called that because it is the price of things. He bought merchandise with a nisab of currency, meaning a man, for example, a man who has one hundred dirhams, two hundred dirhams. A man has two hundred dirhams, and during the lunar year he bought merchandise with them. Does he start a new lunar year or build upon the first one? He builds upon the first one. Let us clarify the example again. A man has two hundred dirhams which he owned in Ramadan, then he bought merchandise for trade in Muharram. Does he pay zakah on this merchandise when Ramadan comes, or when Muharram comes?
The questioner : When Ramadan comes.
The Shaykh : When Ramadan comes, because for merchandise, the lunar year is built upon the first one. All right, he has one thousand riyals which he owned in Ramadan, and in Sha'ban of the second year he bought merchandise. Then Ramadan came. Does he pay zakah on the merchandise?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Pay zakah on the merchandise? One thousand riyals?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : One thousand riyals, a nisab. All right, so the lunar year for merchandise is built upon the zakah of currency. Likewise, if he bought merchandise with a nisab of merchandise, meaning merchandise in exchange for merchandise, like a man who has a car for trade and during the lunar year he exchanged it for another car for trade. Does he build upon the lunar year of the first one? Yes, because the intended thing is the value, and the difference between the two items is not intended. He did not buy the second car because he wants to use it, but because he wants to trade it. So here, he builds the lunar year of merchandise upon the lunar year of currency, and the lunar year of currency upon the lunar year of merchandise, because the intended thing is one. And if he bought it with livestock, he does not build upon it. He bought it, meaning the merchandise, with livestock. From where? From camels, cows, or sheep. In that case, he does not build upon the lunar year of the livestock because of the difference between them in their purposes, in their nisabs, and in the obligation. An example of this is a man who has forty sheep which he owned in Ramadan, and in Muharram he bought merchandise with them. He bought a car, he bought land for trade. Does he build upon the lunar year of the livestock and we obligate him to pay zakah when Ramadan comes in the second year, or does the lunar year start from Muharram? The lunar year starts from Muharram. Why? Because of the difference between them in purpose, in nisab, and in obligation. Therefore, one is not built upon the other because of this difference. All right, conversely, if he had merchandise which he owned in Ramadan, then he bought livestock with it in Muharram, does he build upon the lunar year of the merchandise and we say that when Ramadan comes, pay zakah on this livestock? No, for the reason we mentioned in the explanation of the first issue. All right, he has dirhams which he owned in Ramadan, and in Muharram he bought.
The questioner : When Ramadan comes.
The Shaykh : When Ramadan comes, because for merchandise, the lunar year is built upon the first one. All right, he has one thousand riyals which he owned in Ramadan, and in Sha'ban of the second year he bought merchandise. Then Ramadan came. Does he pay zakah on the merchandise?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Pay zakah on the merchandise? One thousand riyals?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : One thousand riyals, a nisab. All right, so the lunar year for merchandise is built upon the zakah of currency. Likewise, if he bought merchandise with a nisab of merchandise, meaning merchandise in exchange for merchandise, like a man who has a car for trade and during the lunar year he exchanged it for another car for trade. Does he build upon the lunar year of the first one? Yes, because the intended thing is the value, and the difference between the two items is not intended. He did not buy the second car because he wants to use it, but because he wants to trade it. So here, he builds the lunar year of merchandise upon the lunar year of currency, and the lunar year of currency upon the lunar year of merchandise, because the intended thing is one. And if he bought it with livestock, he does not build upon it. He bought it, meaning the merchandise, with livestock. From where? From camels, cows, or sheep. In that case, he does not build upon the lunar year of the livestock because of the difference between them in their purposes, in their nisabs, and in the obligation. An example of this is a man who has forty sheep which he owned in Ramadan, and in Muharram he bought merchandise with them. He bought a car, he bought land for trade. Does he build upon the lunar year of the livestock and we obligate him to pay zakah when Ramadan comes in the second year, or does the lunar year start from Muharram? The lunar year starts from Muharram. Why? Because of the difference between them in purpose, in nisab, and in obligation. Therefore, one is not built upon the other because of this difference. All right, conversely, if he had merchandise which he owned in Ramadan, then he bought livestock with it in Muharram, does he build upon the lunar year of the merchandise and we say that when Ramadan comes, pay zakah on this livestock? No, for the reason we mentioned in the explanation of the first issue. All right, he has dirhams which he owned in Ramadan, and in Muharram he bought.