AZ-ZAKKAH (Obligatory Charity)

INTRODUCTION TO ZAKKAH 

Az-zakkah linguistically means purity (something pure) or something that purifies. This 

can be referenced to from the statement of Allah (The most exalted) in Qur’an Chapter 9 vs 103, Allah says: Take from their property (You Muhammad (Sollallohu alayhi wa sallam)) as charity, so as to cleanse and purify them and pray for them…., from the above verse, we could see that Zakkah is a purifier.  In Islamic jurisprudence, it is termed an act of worship that is obligatory which is performed by giving from one’s property if it’s due for it. It is the third pillar of islam that has to be performed for anybody that has met up with all the conditions and criteria. 

ISLAMIC RULINGS ON ZAKKAH

The ruling on zakkah is that, it is obligatory conditionally (that is, with all the requirements available). So anybody that fails to observe that pillar of Islam while he or she has met up with all the requirements is a sinner unto Allah but he who nullifies its presence among the pillars of Islam or nullifies its being an obligatory activities in Islam has apostate (he or she is no more a muslim). 

EVIDENCES ON OBLIGATION OF ZAKKAH

It has been repeated several times in the Holy Qur’an, the word “Observe solah (compulsory prayers) and give Charity (Az-zakkah). And Ibn Abbas said on this (may Allah be pleased with both father and son), He said, Abu Sufyan told me (may Allah be pleased with him) and he recited the statements of the Prophet Muhammad (Sollalohu alayhi wa sallam), then he said, he (The Prophet Muhammad) did command us to pray, give charity (Az zakkah), keeping the ties of our family and forgiving people (Fathu l Baariy (The explanation of Sohih l Bukhariy, The book of Zakkah (The chapter on obligation of Zakkah)

2.  Abu ‘Asim told us, who is Ad-dihaaku bn mokhlad, narrated from Zakariyyah son of Ishaq from Yahya son of Abdillah son of Soyfiyh from Abiy Mab’ad from Ibn A’bbaas (may Allah be with both of them. “Indeed the prophet Muhammad (sollallohu alayhi wa sallam) sent Mu’adh (may Allah be pleased) to Yemen and he told him, call them to testify that there is nobody worthy of worship except Allah (the glorious, the most exalted) and that verily, I (Muhammad) am a messenger of Allah, so if they follow that command, then let them know that Allah has made compulsory on them, the five daily prayers, all day and night, so if they still follow that command, then let them know that Allah has made compulsory on them, CHARITY (Az zakkah, termed as sodaqoh in the hadith) on their properties, that will be taken from the rich among them and be given to the poor among them. (fathul baariyh, Hadith 1331). 

CONDITIONS THAT MAKE AZ ZAKKAH OBLIGATORY

Below are the conditions that necessitate and obligate Charity:

  1. Al Islam (The person must be a Muslim)
  2. Absolute ownership of the property
  3. Growth (there must be the growth of wealth)
  4. Minimum Quantity (It must attain Nisoob)
  5. Abundance above need (There must be a surplus of the quantity of the asset)
  6. Solvency (Freedom from debt and other monetary afflictions)
  7. Lapse of Lunar year (Or Time of harvest) 

MINIMUM QUANTITY (AN NISOOB)

Minimum Quantity refers to the lower limits that the prophet (Sollallohu alayhi wa sallam) established as the fixed threshold at which a Muslim must pay Zakat from specific kinds of eligible wealth. The word Nisob is linguistically termed as “Origin” as the right of the poor and zakat-worthy in one’s charitable wealth begins at this cusp of its accumulation. This is the table of Nisob below:

TYPES OF WEALTH NISOB ZAKAT RATE 
1. PERSONAL WEALTH 3 US oz.PURE GOLD 1/40 (2.5%) 
2. BUSINESS WEALTH Trade goods
Exploited Assets 		3 US oz.PURE GOLD 2.5%Current Wholesale Value

2.5% Net Income 
3. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE IRRIGATED NON-IRRIGATED 653KG/1439LB. 5% of Harvest
10% of Harvest 
4. LIVESTOCK OVINE : 40BOVINE: 30 EXPLANATION WILL FOLLOW 
5. TREASURE TROVESHidden windfalls Natural Resources 
3 US oz. PURE GOLD 

20% 

ZAKAT RATE ON LIVESTOCK

Sahih al-Bukhari 1454

Narrated Anas:

When Abu Bakr; sent me to (collect the Zakat from) Bahrain, he wrote to me the following:– (In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful). These are the orders for compulsory charity (Zakat) which Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) had made obligatory for every Muslim, and which Allah had ordered His Apostle to observe: Whoever amongst the Muslims is asked to pay Zakat accordingly, he should pay it (to the Zakat collector) and whoever is asked more than that (what is specified in this script) he should not pay it; for twenty-four camels or less, sheep are to be paid as Zakat; for every five camels one sheep is to be paid, and if there are between twenty-five to thirty-five camels, one Bint Makhad is to be paid; and if they are between thirty-six to forty-five (camels), one Bint Labun is to be paid; and if they are between forty-six to sixty (camels), one Hiqqa is to be paid; and if the number is between sixty-one to seventy-five (camels), one Jadha is to be paid; and if the number is between seventy-six to ninety (camels), two Bint Labuns are to be paid; and if they are from ninety-one to one-hundredand twenty (camels), two Hiqqas are to be paid; and if they are over one-hundred and-twenty (camels), for every forty (over one-hundred-and-twenty) one Bint Labun is to be paid, and for every fifty camels (over one-hundred-and-twenty) one Hiqqa is to be paid; and who ever has got only four camels, has to pay nothing as Zakat, but if the owner of these four camels wants to give something, he can. If the number of camels increases to five, the owner has to pay one sheep as Zakat. As regards the Zakat for the (flock of sheep; if there are between forty and one-hundred-and-twenty sheep, one sheep is to be paid; if there are between one-hundred-and-twenty to two hundred (sheep), two sheep are to be paid; and if there are between two-hundred to three hundred (sheep), three sheep are to be paid; and for over three-hundred sheep, for every extra hundred sheep, one sheep is to be paid as Zakat. And if somebody has got less than forty sheep, no Zakat is required, but if he wants to give, he can. For silver, the Zakat is one-fortieth of the lot (i.e. 2.5%), and if its value is less than two hundred Dirhams, the Zakat is not required, but if the owner wants to pay, he can.’

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُثَنَّى الأَنْصَارِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي قَالَ، حَدَّثَنِي ثُمَامَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، أَنَّ أَنَسًا، حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ كَتَبَ لَهُ هَذَا الْكِتَابَ لَمَّا وَجَّهَهُ إِلَى الْبَحْرَيْنِ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ‏ “‏ هَذِهِ فَرِيضَةُ الصَّدَقَةِ الَّتِي فَرَضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَالَّتِي أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهَا رَسُولَهُ، فَمَنْ سُئِلَهَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَلَى وَجْهِهَا فَلْيُعْطِهَا، وَمَنْ سُئِلَ فَوْقَهَا فَلاَ يُعْطِ فِي أَرْبَعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ مِنَ الإِبِلِ فَمَا دُونَهَا مِنَ الْغَنَمِ مِنْ كُلِّ خَمْسٍ شَاةٌ، إِذَا بَلَغَتْ خَمْسًا وَعِشْرِينَ إِلَى خَمْسٍ وَثَلاَثِينَ فَفِيهَا بِنْتُ مَخَاضٍ أُنْثَى، فَإِذَا بَلَغَتْ سِتًّا وَثَلاَثِينَ إِلَى خَمْسٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ فَفِيهَا بِنْتُ لَبُونٍ أُنْثَى، فَإِذَا بَلَغَتْ سِتًّا وَأَرْبَعِينَ إِلَى سِتِّينَ فَفِيهَا حِقَّةٌ طَرُوقَةُ الْجَمَلِ، فَإِذَا بَلَغَتْ وَاحِدَةً وَسِتِّينَ إِلَى خَمْسٍ وَسَبْعِينَ فَفِيهَا جَذَعَةٌ، فَإِذَا بَلَغَتْ ـ يَعْنِي ـ سِتًّا وَسَبْعِينَ إِلَى تِسْعِينَ فَفِيهَا بِنْتَا لَبُونٍ، فَإِذَا بَلَغَتْ إِحْدَى وَتِسْعِينَ إِلَى عِشْرِينَ وَمِائَةٍ فَفِيهَا حِقَّتَانِ طَرُوقَتَا الْجَمَلِ، فَإِذَا زَادَتْ عَلَى عِشْرِينَ وَمِائَةٍ فَفِي كُلِّ أَرْبَعِينَ بِنْتُ لَبُونٍ، وَفِي كُلِّ خَمْسِينَ حِقَّةٌ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَعَهُ إِلاَّ أَرْبَعٌ مِنَ الإِبِلِ فَلَيْسَ فِيهَا صَدَقَةٌ، إِلاَّ أَنْ يَشَاءَ رَبُّهَا، فَإِذَا بَلَغَتْ خَمْسًا مِنَ الإِبِلِ فَفِيهَا شَاةٌ، وَفِي صَدَقَةِ الْغَنَمِ فِي سَائِمَتِهَا إِذَا كَانَتْ أَرْبَعِينَ إِلَى عِشْرِينَ وَمِائَةٍ شَاةٌ، فَإِذَا زَادَتْ عَلَى عِشْرِينَ وَمِائَةٍ إِلَى مِائَتَيْنِ شَاتَانِ، فَإِذَا زَادَتْ عَلَى مِائَتَيْنِ إِلَى ثَلاَثِمِائَةٍ فَفِيهَا ثَلاَثٌ، فَإِذَا زَادَتْ عَلَى ثَلاَثِمِائَةٍ فَفِي كُلِّ مِائَةٍ شَاةٌ، فَإِذَا كَانَتْ سَائِمَةُ الرَّجُلِ نَاقِصَةً مِنْ أَرْبَعِينَ شَاةً وَاحِدَةً فَلَيْسَ فِيهَا صَدَقَةٌ، إِلاَّ أَنْ يَشَاءَ رَبُّهَا، وَفِي الرِّقَةِ رُبْعُ الْعُشْرِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ إِلاَّ تِسْعِينَ وَمِائَةً فَلَيْسَ فِيهَا شَىْءٌ، إِلاَّ أَنْ يَشَاءَ رَبُّهَا

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuwxmqIA9aU