ZAKAT PART THREE (3) Assalamu alaykum warahmatullah wabarakaatuhu. All praises belong to Allah Who sent His Messenger (SAW) with Guidance and the Religion of Truth to make it overcome all other ways (not in conformity with it) and Allah is sufficient as Witness upon this. I bear witness that Muhammad (SAW) is His slave and messenger, who was the best man to worship Allah and surrender to Him. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his family, his companions and upon anyone that follows in their footsteps until the Day of Recompense. O Brethren! I exhort you and I to show gratitude to Allah for the special favours He has bestowed upon us. These favours are many and uncountable, even if you want to count them. You can only remember these favours when you ponder and try to provide answer to the Allah’s question: “Is it they who portion out the Mercy of your Lord? It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in this world, and We raised some of them above others in ranks, so that some may employ others in their work. But the Mercy (Paradise) of your Lord is better than the (wealth of this world) which they amass.” [Q43:32] O servants of Allah! Know that all human beings were created by Allah and they belong to one great brotherhood; all being descendants of the same progenitor, Adam and Hawa. They must willingly come to one anothers assistance, like members of the same large family. Islam has, therefore, legislated the institution of Zakah to support, among others, the destitute, the disabled and the needy members of society. It is a sacred duty of the wealthy to give part of their possessions to fulfill the needs of the deprived sections of the community. In continuation of subject discussion, we shall focus on the zakah on livestock today. O servants of Allah! Know that Zakah is incumbent on certain animals and not on others. Livestock include camels, sheep, cows, buffalos, goats, and the like. Zakah in general and zakah on livestock in particular is obligatory. Narrated Abu Dhar: Once I went to him (the Prophet ) and he said, By Allah in Whose Hands my life is (or probably said, By Allah, except Whom none has the right to be worshipped), whoever had camels or cows or sheep and did not pay their Zakat, those animals will be brought on the Day of Resurrection far bigger and fatter than before and they will tread him under their hooves, and will butt him with their horns, and (those animals will come in circle): When the last does its turn, the first will start again, and this punishment will go on till Allah has finished the judgments amongst the people. (Bukhari, Vol.2, Book 24, No. 539). Grazing camels, grazing cows and grazing sheep and goats are eligible for Zakat payment. Each category of the above mentioned livestock animals has a set Nisab amount based upon the number of animals owned. The following conditions are relevant in the determination of Zakah payable on livestock: · The minimum number of heads (nisab) is attainted for each category. Further details are provided below. The Prophet (SAW) said, Zakah is not due on a property unless after the lapse of a full year. · A lunar year (hawl) has elapsed while nisab remained in ownership (the year starts from the day of the nisabs possession, without any decrease during the year). · These animals were not used as beasts of burden (draft animals), that is, in physical activities such as ploughing, logging, harrowing, transport, etc. This is confirmed by the Prophets saying, Nothing is due on the cattle used in cultivation. · These animals were not fed fodder (i.e., they were left freely grazing for most of the year). This is the opinion of jumhur. However, the Malikis didn’t stipulate this condition. In case the cattle bear offspring during the year, the value of the offspring is to be added to the total value of cattle. If the possession is interrupted during the year due to selling cattle or bartering them, a new year is to be calculated from the day in which the cattle are sold or bartered, provided that the owner did not do that with the intention of evading the payment of Zakah. If these conditions are met, the next step will be the application of zakah rates to each category of livestock. To this end, there are standard tables of numbers that are used to determine how many heads of each kind will be taken out for the purpose of zakah. Animals that would be given out for zakah must be healthy, defect-free, and missing no organ or limb such as an eye, an ear, a leg, a tail, etc. The Percentage and Amount of Zakah Zakah on Camels: The Nisab and amounts of Zakah due on camels are illustrated as follows: No. of Camels The amount of Zakah due From 1 To 4 No Zakah is due From 5 To 9 One sheep From 10 To 14 Two sheep From 15 To 19 Three sheep From 20 To 24 Four sheep From 25 To 35 A she-camel between 1 and 2 years From 36 To 45 A she-camel between 2 and 3 years From 46 To 60 A she-camel between 3 and 4 years From 61 To 75 A she-camel between 4 and 5 years From 76 To 90 Two she-camels between 2 and 3 years From 91 To 120 Two she-camels between 3 and 4 years From 121 To 129 Three she-camels between 2 and 3 years From 130 To 139 A she-camel between 3 and 4 years and two she-camels between 2 and 3 years From 140 To 149 Two she-camels between 3 and 4 years and a she-camel between 2 and 3 years From 150 To 159 Three she-camels between 3 and 4 years From 160 To 169 Four she-camels between 2 and 3 years From 170 To 179 Three she-camels between 2 and 3 years and a she-camel between 3 and 4 years From 180 To 189 Two she-camels between 2 and 3 years and two she-camels between 3 and 4 years From 190 To 199 Three she-camels between 3 and 4 years and a she-camel between 2 and 3 years From 200 To 209 Four she-camels between 3 and 4 years or five she-camels between 2 and 3 years While there is Zakah due on camels numbering from 1 to 24, giving some of them as Zakah may affect the payer negatively, so giving sheep as Zakah is made as compromise. This is an ease granted by Allah. Any increase beside the above-mentioned amounts is to be calculated as follows: 1. On every increment of 40 camels, a she-camel between 2 and 3 years is due as Zakah. 2. On every increment of 50 camels, a she-camel between 3 and 4 years is due as Zakah. Zakah on Cows: The Nisab and amounts of Zakah due on cows are illustrated as follows: No. of Cows The amount of Zakah due From 1 To 29 No Zakah is due From 30 To 39 A one year old bull From 40 To 59 A two year old cow From 60 To 69 Two cows or bulls aging 1 year From 70 To 79 A cow aging 2 years and a bull aging 1 year From 80 To 89 Two cows aging 2 years From 90 To 99 Three cows aging aging 1 year From 100 To 109 A cow aging 2 years and 2 bulls aging 1 year From 110 To 119 Two cows aging 2 years and a bull aging 1 year From 120 To 129 Three cows aging 2 years or four bulls aging 1 year Any increase beside the above-mentioned amounts is to be calculated as follows: · On every increment of 30 cows, a cow or bull aging 1 year is due as Zakah. · On every increment of 40 cows, a cow aging 2 years is due as Zakah. Zakah on Sheep: The Nisab and amounts of Zakah due on sheep are illustrated as follows: No. of Sheep The amount of Zakah due From 1 To 39 No Zakah is due From 40 To 120 1 ewe From 121 To 200 2 ewes From 201 To 399 3 ewes From 400 To 499 4 ewes From 500 To 599 5 ewes On every increment of 100 sheep, an ewe is due as Zakah. Cattle Raised for Trade The cattle raised for trade will be treated exactly as the commercial commodities; Zakah on them will be calculated on the basis of their value not number. Therefore, Zakah falls due on the cattle if their value reaches the minimum amount of money liable to the payment of Zakah (a value equal to 85 grams of pure gold). In this case, the cattle owner should add it to what he possesses of money and commercial commodities and pay 2.5 % as Zakah on it provided that it meets the conditions of the obligation to pay Zakah on commodities. However, in case the value of cattle does not reach the minimum amount counted for Zakah when estimated as commercial commodities, but do reach it when estimated on the basis of their number, the numerical method explained earlier is to be applied. Is there Zakah on Horses? There is no Zakah due on horses, as the Prophet (SAW) said: “No Zakah is due on the slave or the horse of a Muslim.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). It was authentically reported that Allahs Messenger (SAW) said: “A horse may be kept for one of three purposes: for a man it may be a source of reward; for another it may be a means of living; and for a third it may be a burden (a source of committing sins). As for the one for whom it is a source of reward, he is the one who keeps his horse for the sake of Jihad (fighting in the Cause of Allah); he ties it with a long rope on a pasture or in a garden, and whatever its rope allows it to eat will be regarded as good rewardable deeds (for its owner). If it breaks off its rope and jumps over one or two hillocks, even its dung will be considered amongst his good deeds. If it passes by a river and drinks water from it, that will be considered as good deeds (for the owner) even if he had no intention of watering it. A horse is a shelter for the one who keeps it so that he may earn his living honestly and takes it as a refuge to keep him from following illegal ways (of gaining money), provided that he does not forget the rights of Allah (i.e. paying the Zakah and allowing others to use it in the Cause of Allah). A horse may be also a burden (and a source of committing sins) for a person who keeps it out of pride and pretense, and with the intention of harming the Muslims.” From the wordings of the above hadith in relation to the one who keeps horses without forgetting the rights of Allah which has been expanded to mean paying the Zakah and allowing others to use it in the Cause of Allah, it can be argued that there is Zakah on horses if they become used as a store of wealth. This was the wisdom applied by Sayyidina whereas, Umar Ibn al-Khattab (RA), the second khalifah, when told how expensive horses had become in Yemen, he said, “I did not know that horses could be that expensive. Shall we take [Zakah] on forty sheep and not take [it] on [these] horses? Take one dinar on each horse.” [Reported by al Baihaqi and Abd al Razzaq]. The decision of Umar apparently implies that he understood the saying of the Prophet ((SAW)) to have relevance to circumstances similar to those prevailing in Madinah during the time of the Prophet ((SAW)), but not to a situation where horses are expensive and represent an important item of wealth. Zakah on Poultry Farm Products, Fish Farms, etc We have in our time the rearing of livestock like poultry, grass cutters, snails and fish farms. The Zakah on these items is not like the Zakat on cattle, cows, camels and goats. Rather, they are treated as tradable items. Therefore, if a person has a poultry farm, at the end of a lunar year he should calculate his cash money and the poultry that he has (by evaluating its value), then if the total of all that he possesses reaches the Nisab (i.e. the minimum amount liable for Zakah), then he should pay the Zakah on the totality, which is 2.5%, and he should pay the Zakah on the capital money and profits. O Servants of Allah! Know that Allah informed His Prophet (SAW) to inform:those who hoard up gold and silver and expend it not in the way of Allah, so give them the glad tidings of a painful chastisement, on the day when it shall (all) be heated in the Fire of Hell, and there with their foreheads and their sides and their backs shall be branded, (saying), This is what you hoarded up for yourselves, so taste you now what you used to hoard up.” (Q9:34-35) These verses speak of the serious warning that Allah has given to those people who do not pay Zakah on their assets as prescribed. Very strong words are used to warn them of the punishment. So, the Quran says, Those who hoard up gold and silver and expend not in the way of Allah so (O Prophet) give them tidings, of a severe punishment. These are the people who continue to hoard their wealth, gold and silver (now in Cedis, Dollars and other FX holdings stashed away in foreign banks) and do not spend in the cause of Allah and do not fulfill the duties imposed on them by Allah so let them have the glad tidings of a painful punishment. Then, the next verse describes the kind of the painful punishment. This punishment will be awarded on the day when the gold and silver will be heated in the fire of Hell and with it the mans forehead, and his sides and back will be branded. And it will be said to him: “This is what you hoarded up for yourself so taste now what you used to hoard up.” May Allah preserve all Muslims from this Punishment. Aameen PART 2 We give praise and adoration to Allah beside whom there is no one else, the King and the Holy. We seek Allah’s salutation and peace upon His Beloved and the Best of His creation. O servants of Allah! Know that Zakat may be given to the eight categories of people to whom Allah has legislated as in Q9:60 earlier stated. According to the Maalikis, one of the opinions of Ahmad and the opinion of Ibn Taymiyyah, the poor and the needy should be given preference. The Noble Prophet (SAW) said to Mu’aadh (RA): “Tell them that they have to give sadaqah (charity) that is to be taken from their wealth and given to the poor”: “It is not permissible to give any part of zakaah to a kaafir, whether it is zakaat al-fitr or zakaat al-maal…” Zakat should be given to the poor, those who have overwhelming debts, and those whose salaries are not enough to last until the end of the month, in accordance with the level of their needs. O servants of Allah! Know that the fulfillment of your Zakat obligation is one way of showing goodness to neighbour in the form of generosity and kindness while obeying the commandment of Allah. Also, be reminded that Allah (SWT) said: “Worship Allah and worship none with Him and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, the poor, the neighbour who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (whom you meet) and those (slaves/servants) whom your right hand possesses. Verily Allah does not love those who are proud and boastful.” [Q4:36] O Servants of Allah! Remember that the Apostle of Allah (SAW), as narrated by Abu Shurayh, said: “By Allah, he does not believe! By Allah, he does not believe! By Allah, he does not believe! It was asked, ‘who is that, O Allah’s messenger?’ He said, that person whose neighbour does not feel safe from his evil.” Reported by Bukhari. Your failure to pay Zakat so that your poor neighbor who has a right to it can benefit from what Allah has given you is oppression and Allah has outlawed all forms of oppressions. For a mind that has attached itself to the life of this world and refusing to acknowledge the hereafter, the issue of Zakat is a disturbance to them. Please be on guard as “it has already been revealed to you in the Book (this Qur’an) that when you hear the Verses of Allah being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them. Surely, Allah will assemble all the Munafiq and Kaafir all together in Hell”. Q4:140 O servants of Allah! “Verily, Allah commands justice, and the doing of good and giving (help) to the kith and kin and He forbids evil deeds, polytheism and oppression. He admonishes you that you may take heed.” Q16:90 The fulfillment of the obligation of zakah is part of doing good. O Allah, we pray that You grant us forgiveness, good health, and exemption from evil forever in the Religion (of Islam) in this world and in the hereafter. We also beseech You for Your pleasure and the pleasure of Your Prophet (SAW), the pleasure of the religious scholars, and the pleasure of our parents. O Allah, grant what we desire among what You wish; and make our choice be among Your own choices; and do not direct our plight to anyone except you. Our Lord, the Creator of the universe, disassociate us from every wrong doer, and reward everyone that is good to us and bless them abundantly for us. O Allah, cast trouble, hunger and blame away from us and guard us against calamities that no one except You can forestall. Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the hereafter and save us from the torment of fire. Aaaamiiiin Ya Rabbil Aaaaalameen. Aquulu qawliy hadha wastagfirullah liy walakum innahu huwal ghafurun Raheem. Wassalamun alal mursaleen wal hamdulillahi rabbil aalameen
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 07:53:51 +0000
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