Continuation of the explanation of the words of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "…and you give zakah…". In it is mentioned the wealth subject to zakah.
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The Shaykh : And those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. As for what follows:
We have previously discussed something regarding the third pillar of the pillars of Islam, which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified in his response to Jibril when he asked about Islam. We have previously discussed something regarding zakah, and we promised that we would speak about the wealth subject to zakah, because not all wealth is subject to zakah; some of it is subject to zakah and some is not.
Zakah is obligatory first in gold and silver. Zakah is obligatory in gold and silver in any state they are in, whether they are currency like dirhams and dinars, or bullion like pieces of gold or silver, or jewelry that is worn or worn and lent out, or otherwise. The important thing is that the substance of these metals, namely gold and silver, is subject to zakah in all cases, but on the condition that it reaches the nisab for a full lunar year. The nisab of gold is eighty-five grams, and the nisab of silver is five hundred and ninety-five grams of silver, which is equivalent to five hundred and ninety-five Saudi Riyals in silver. So if a person has this amount of gold or silver, he has possessed the nisab. If that continues until the completion of the year, then zakah is due in it. If it is less, there is no zakah in it. For example, if he has eighty grams, there is no zakah on him. Or if he has five hundred and ninety grams of silver, there is no zakah on him.
The scholars differed on whether the nisab of gold is completed by silver or not. That is, if a person possesses half the nisab of gold and half the nisab of silver, does one complete the other such that he is considered to have possessed a nisab and zakah becomes obligatory on him, or does it not?
The correct view is that gold is not completed by silver, nor is silver completed by gold. Each is independent by itself, just as wheat is not completed by barley, nor is barley completed by wheat. Similarly, gold is not completed by silver, nor is silver completed by gold. So if a person has half the nisab of gold and half the nisab of silver, there is no zakah on him.
Included in this is what takes the place of gold and silver, which is paper currency, copper, or other materials. Zakah is due in these if they reach the nisab by one of the two standards, meaning by gold or by silver. If they do not reach it, there is no zakah. For example, if a person has three hundred paper Riyals, but they do not reach the nisab of silver, there is no zakah on him, because these are tied to silver.
As for precious gems other than gold and silver, such as pearls, coral, and other minerals like diamonds and the like, there is no zakah in them, even if a person has a large amount of them, except for what he has prepared for trade. What he has prepared for trade is subject to zakah regardless of its type. As for what is not prepared for trade, there is no zakah in it, except for gold and silver. This is the first category of wealth in which zakah is obligatory.
The second category: Cattle, which are camels, cows, and sheep. Zakah is due in them, but on the condition that they reach the nisab.
The minimum nisab for camels is five.
The minimum nisab for cows is thirty.
The minimum nisab for sheep is forty.
Cattle are not like other wealth. When they reach the nisab, what is added is calculated by bracket, not by tier. In forty sheep, there is one sheep. In one hundred sheep, there is also one sheep, until it reaches one hundred and twenty-one, in which case there are two sheep. The interval between the two nisabs has no additional zakah. From forty to one hundred and twenty, there is only one sheep in all of it. From one hundred and twenty-one to two hundred, there are two sheep. Two hundred and one, three sheep. Three hundred, three sheep. Three hundred and ninety-nine, three sheep. Four hundred, four sheep. The important thing is that they differ.
Similarly, in camels: for camels up to twenty-four, the zakah is from sheep, one sheep for every five. From twenty-five and above, the zakah is from camels, but with different ages.
For cattle, it is a condition for the obligation of zakah that they reach the nisab and that they be grazing. Grazing means those that graze in the open, not those that are fed. This must be for the entire year or for most of the year. If a person has forty sheep that graze and feed themselves all year, there is zakah in them. If they graze and feed themselves for eight months, there is zakah in them. If they graze for seven months, there is zakah in them. If they graze for six months and are fed for six months, there is no zakah in them. If they graze for five months and are fed for seven months, there is no zakah in them. If they are fed all year, there is no zakah in them, because it is a condition that they be grazing, either for the entire year or for most of it.
The second condition is that they reach the nisab. You have learned that the first nisab for camels is five, the first nisab for cows is thirty, and the first nisab for sheep is forty.
However, if a person is trading in sheep, for example, trading and not keeping the sheep for breeding and offspring, but rather buying an animal today and selling it tomorrow seeking profit, then zakah is due on him even if he has only one, provided it reaches the nisab in silver. This is because trade goods are subject to zakah in all cases, and their nisab is determined by the nisab of gold or silver. The most common standard for the poor in our time is silver, because gold is expensive. The third category of wealth subject to zakah is what comes out of the earth, such as grains and fruits, like dates, wheat, rice, barley, and the like. It is necessary for this to reach the nisab, which is three hundred sa' by the sa' of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Those who collect zakah from farmers know this. So if a person has date palms that bear fruit and their fruit reaches the nisab, zakah becomes obligatory on him.
He is obligated to give from the average fruit, not from the best, which would be an injustice, nor from the worst, which would be an injustice, but rather from the middle. And if a person sells his fruit, he gives zakah from the price; he gives zakah from the price.
The amount of zakah in what comes out of the earth is half the tenth or the tenth. If it is watered by flowing water without machines or pumps, then the full tenth is due. The tenth means one out of ten. So if he has, for example, ten thousand kilograms, how many kilograms is the tenth obligatory on him? If he extracts water by means such as pumps and machines and the like, then half the tenth is due on him. So in ten thousand kilograms, it is only five hundred. Yes, and that is because the farmer who waters with effort spends more than the one who waters without effort. So it was the wisdom of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and His mercy that He lightened the zakah for the one who waters with effort and toil.
As for the fourth category of zakah, it is trade goods. Trade goods are everything a person prepares for trade, such as real estate, fabrics, utensils, cars, and others. There is nothing specific; everything you prepare for trade, meaning you own in order to wait for profit in it, is trade goods. You are obligated to give zakah on it. The amount of zakah in it is a quarter of the tenth, like gold and silver. The amount of zakah in gold and silver and trade goods is a quarter of the tenth, meaning one in forty, or two and a half in one hundred. If you have money and want to know the amount of zakah, the matter is easy: divide the money by forty, and the result of the division is the zakah. So if a person has forty thousand dirhams, what is the zakah? Divide it. Divide forty thousand by forty, and one comes out. So one thousand Riyals. And in one hundred and twenty thousand, three thousand Riyals, and so on. The important thing is that if you want to calculate the zakah, you divide what you have of money, meaning gold and silver and trade goods, by forty. The result of the division is the zakah. And Allah knows best.
We have previously discussed something regarding the third pillar of the pillars of Islam, which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified in his response to Jibril when he asked about Islam. We have previously discussed something regarding zakah, and we promised that we would speak about the wealth subject to zakah, because not all wealth is subject to zakah; some of it is subject to zakah and some is not.
Zakah is obligatory first in gold and silver. Zakah is obligatory in gold and silver in any state they are in, whether they are currency like dirhams and dinars, or bullion like pieces of gold or silver, or jewelry that is worn or worn and lent out, or otherwise. The important thing is that the substance of these metals, namely gold and silver, is subject to zakah in all cases, but on the condition that it reaches the nisab for a full lunar year. The nisab of gold is eighty-five grams, and the nisab of silver is five hundred and ninety-five grams of silver, which is equivalent to five hundred and ninety-five Saudi Riyals in silver. So if a person has this amount of gold or silver, he has possessed the nisab. If that continues until the completion of the year, then zakah is due in it. If it is less, there is no zakah in it. For example, if he has eighty grams, there is no zakah on him. Or if he has five hundred and ninety grams of silver, there is no zakah on him.
The scholars differed on whether the nisab of gold is completed by silver or not. That is, if a person possesses half the nisab of gold and half the nisab of silver, does one complete the other such that he is considered to have possessed a nisab and zakah becomes obligatory on him, or does it not?
The correct view is that gold is not completed by silver, nor is silver completed by gold. Each is independent by itself, just as wheat is not completed by barley, nor is barley completed by wheat. Similarly, gold is not completed by silver, nor is silver completed by gold. So if a person has half the nisab of gold and half the nisab of silver, there is no zakah on him.
Included in this is what takes the place of gold and silver, which is paper currency, copper, or other materials. Zakah is due in these if they reach the nisab by one of the two standards, meaning by gold or by silver. If they do not reach it, there is no zakah. For example, if a person has three hundred paper Riyals, but they do not reach the nisab of silver, there is no zakah on him, because these are tied to silver.
As for precious gems other than gold and silver, such as pearls, coral, and other minerals like diamonds and the like, there is no zakah in them, even if a person has a large amount of them, except for what he has prepared for trade. What he has prepared for trade is subject to zakah regardless of its type. As for what is not prepared for trade, there is no zakah in it, except for gold and silver. This is the first category of wealth in which zakah is obligatory.
The second category: Cattle, which are camels, cows, and sheep. Zakah is due in them, but on the condition that they reach the nisab.
The minimum nisab for camels is five.
The minimum nisab for cows is thirty.
The minimum nisab for sheep is forty.
Cattle are not like other wealth. When they reach the nisab, what is added is calculated by bracket, not by tier. In forty sheep, there is one sheep. In one hundred sheep, there is also one sheep, until it reaches one hundred and twenty-one, in which case there are two sheep. The interval between the two nisabs has no additional zakah. From forty to one hundred and twenty, there is only one sheep in all of it. From one hundred and twenty-one to two hundred, there are two sheep. Two hundred and one, three sheep. Three hundred, three sheep. Three hundred and ninety-nine, three sheep. Four hundred, four sheep. The important thing is that they differ.
Similarly, in camels: for camels up to twenty-four, the zakah is from sheep, one sheep for every five. From twenty-five and above, the zakah is from camels, but with different ages.
For cattle, it is a condition for the obligation of zakah that they reach the nisab and that they be grazing. Grazing means those that graze in the open, not those that are fed. This must be for the entire year or for most of the year. If a person has forty sheep that graze and feed themselves all year, there is zakah in them. If they graze and feed themselves for eight months, there is zakah in them. If they graze for seven months, there is zakah in them. If they graze for six months and are fed for six months, there is no zakah in them. If they graze for five months and are fed for seven months, there is no zakah in them. If they are fed all year, there is no zakah in them, because it is a condition that they be grazing, either for the entire year or for most of it.
The second condition is that they reach the nisab. You have learned that the first nisab for camels is five, the first nisab for cows is thirty, and the first nisab for sheep is forty.
However, if a person is trading in sheep, for example, trading and not keeping the sheep for breeding and offspring, but rather buying an animal today and selling it tomorrow seeking profit, then zakah is due on him even if he has only one, provided it reaches the nisab in silver. This is because trade goods are subject to zakah in all cases, and their nisab is determined by the nisab of gold or silver. The most common standard for the poor in our time is silver, because gold is expensive. The third category of wealth subject to zakah is what comes out of the earth, such as grains and fruits, like dates, wheat, rice, barley, and the like. It is necessary for this to reach the nisab, which is three hundred sa' by the sa' of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Those who collect zakah from farmers know this. So if a person has date palms that bear fruit and their fruit reaches the nisab, zakah becomes obligatory on him.
He is obligated to give from the average fruit, not from the best, which would be an injustice, nor from the worst, which would be an injustice, but rather from the middle. And if a person sells his fruit, he gives zakah from the price; he gives zakah from the price.
The amount of zakah in what comes out of the earth is half the tenth or the tenth. If it is watered by flowing water without machines or pumps, then the full tenth is due. The tenth means one out of ten. So if he has, for example, ten thousand kilograms, how many kilograms is the tenth obligatory on him? If he extracts water by means such as pumps and machines and the like, then half the tenth is due on him. So in ten thousand kilograms, it is only five hundred. Yes, and that is because the farmer who waters with effort spends more than the one who waters without effort. So it was the wisdom of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and His mercy that He lightened the zakah for the one who waters with effort and toil.
As for the fourth category of zakah, it is trade goods. Trade goods are everything a person prepares for trade, such as real estate, fabrics, utensils, cars, and others. There is nothing specific; everything you prepare for trade, meaning you own in order to wait for profit in it, is trade goods. You are obligated to give zakah on it. The amount of zakah in it is a quarter of the tenth, like gold and silver. The amount of zakah in gold and silver and trade goods is a quarter of the tenth, meaning one in forty, or two and a half in one hundred. If you have money and want to know the amount of zakah, the matter is easy: divide the money by forty, and the result of the division is the zakah. So if a person has forty thousand dirhams, what is the zakah? Divide it. Divide forty thousand by forty, and one comes out. So one thousand Riyals. And in one hundred and twenty thousand, three thousand Riyals, and so on. The important thing is that if you want to calculate the zakah, you divide what you have of money, meaning gold and silver and trade goods, by forty. The result of the division is the zakah. And Allah knows best.