Zakaat on agricultural products

Zakaah is the most important pillar of Islam after Prayer. The word
"Zakaah" means both 'purification' and 'growth'; so, our possessions
are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need. The
obligatory nature of Zakaah is firmly established in the Quran, the
Sunnah, the consensus of the Prophet'sCompanionsand the Muslim
scholars
One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things
belong to Allaah, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in
trust. Allaah also has set limits and restrictions on how to dispose
of our wealth in order to strike a balance in the Muslim society.
Allaah Almighty promised those who fulfill this duty a great reward in
this world and the Hereafter, and whosoever doesn'tfulfill it is
sternly warned of the grave consequences.
Zakaah on plants, fruits and grains
Plants and fruits are included in the types subject to Zakaat. Allaah
Says )what means(:"O you who believed, spend from the good things
which you have earned and from that which We have produced for you
from the earth..." ]Quran 2: 267[ And)what means(: "…and give its
due]Zakaah[ on the day of its harvest…"]Quran 6: 141[
Allaah also Says )what means(:"And He it is who causes gardens to
grow, ]both[ trellised and untrellised, and palm trees and crops of
different ]kinds of[ food and olives and pomegranates, similar and
dissimilar. Eat of]each of[ its fruit when it yields and give its due
]zakaah[ on the day of its harvest. And be not excessive. Indeed, He
does not like those who commit excess."]Quran 6: 141[
The Prophetenjoined Zakaah on the agricultural yield as shown in a
Hadeeth narrated by Muslim: "A tenth is payable on what is watered by
rivers, or rains, and a twentieth on what is watered by camels."
Types subject to Zakaah:
The scholars agree that Zakaah is obligatory on wheat, barley, dates
and raisins, almonds and pistachios. There is, however, disagreement
over whether or not all other types of agricultural yield are
exempted.
The majority of the scholarshold the view that all types of
agricultural yield )except vegetables and fresh fruits( which can be
stored, or used as regular food, or dried, and are planted by human
beings, are subject to Zakaah.
As for fresh fruits and vegetables, nothing is confirmed from the
Messenger of Allaahconcerning their Zakaah. However, it is still
recommended to give something from them to the poor and the neighbors
due to the generality of Allaah's statement )which means(:"And spend
of the good things you have earned and from what we brought out for
you from the earth."]Quran 2: 267[
Nisaab of the Zakaah:
Nisaab is an Arabic word which technically )i.e. in Islamic
jurisprudential terminology( refers to the minimum amount of wealth on
which Zakaah is legitimately levied.
Most scholars say that there is noZakaah due on plants or fruits until
they attain the amount of five Wasaqs. Five Wasaqs equal, according to
the majority of scholars, 651.4 kg. The Prophetsaid:"No Zakaah is
payable in less than five Wasaqs of dates or grain."]Muslim[
The time for paying Zakaah:
Zakaah of agricultural products isdue as soon as they are harvested.
So, it is not permissible to delay giving out the Zakaah after the
harvest of the crops. Allaah Says )what means(:"… and give its
due]Zakaah[ on the day of its harvest…"]Quran 6: 141[
Zakaah is due on plants when thegrains mature and are ready to be
rubbed off and on the fruit when it is ripened. In the case of dates,
for example, the indicationwill be their brightness or red color, and
with grapes their sweetness. Zakaah on the grains is only due after
removing the dust, husk, straw and chaff. However, Zakaah on fruits is
due at the time of harvesting. It is sinful for the owner to dispose
ofanything before paying Zakaah.
If the farmer sold his grain after it had matured, and the fruit after
it had ripened, then its Zakaah should be paid by him and not the
buyer. This is because the obligation to pay Zakaah became due when
the produce was still in the owner's possession. On the other hand, if
the owner sold his harvest beforeit ripens, Zakaat should be paid out
by the buyer.
The passage of a year )i.e. possession of property for one complete
lunar year( is not a condition for paying Zakaah on plants and fruits.
It is to be paid once only even if the rest of this kind of property
is kept, or not spent, in many years.
Combining different kinds of grains and fruits to complete the Nisaab:
The scholarsagree that the different types of one product)e.g.
different types of dates( may be added together to complete the
Nisaab. But Zakaah is to be paid out from each type separately.
Likewise, if there are different grades or qualities, Zakaat is to be
paid out from each grade, or from the medium)i.e. not the best nor the
worst(. Thus, different kinds of raisins may also be combined
together, and so can the various kinds of wheat and cereals.
Regarding combining various categories of grains, the scholarshave
different views. The predominant opinion is that no two things can be
combined together to complete the Nisaab. The Nisaab must be
considered on every category by itself. Therefore, barley cannot be
added to wheat, and this is also applicable to dates, raisins,
chickpeas and lentils. However, aswe have mentioned above, different
types of wheat can be combined together because all ofthem belong to
the same category.
The Rate of Zakaah:
The rate of Zakaah differs according to the method of irrigation. If
it is watered naturally without the use of artificial means, then the
due Zakaah is 10 % of the harvest. However, if it is irrigated by
machinery or with purchased water, then the Zakaah payable is5 % of
the harvest.
Ibn 'Umarreported that the Prophetsaid:"On that which is watered by
the heavens )i.e. rain( or springs or its own roots, 10 % of the
harvest is due, and onthat which is watered by a well or a stream
)i.e. purchased water(, 5 % of the harvest."]Al-Bukhaari and others[
In case the land is watered equally by artificial as well as natural
means, then Zakaah payable will be 7.5 % of the crop.
All of the costs involved in harvesting, transportation, threshing,
cleaning, storing, and others should be deducted before Zakaah is
paid.
Ibn 'Abbaas and Ibn 'Umarhold that whatever is borrowed for the
purpose of tilling, planting, and harvesting should first be taken
out. ]Yahyaa Ibn Aadam related this in Al-Kharaaj[

The Sunnah: the second form of revelation

Allaah, Almighty, Says)what means(:"This day have Iperfected your
religion for you and completed my favor upon you and have chosen for
you Islam as your religion."]Quran;5: 3[
Amongst the believers there is no doubt about this way of life called
Islam. It is a complete way of life. The Creator ofthe heavens and the
earth has not left anything out of this glorious religion )way of
life( of His. As the above verse states that this religion is perfect
and complete. However, something new has comein fairly recent years
from Satan, concerning the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah. Ithas
been suggested by him to the hearts of someof the Muslims that the
Quran, as Glorious as it is,is sufficient enough alone as guidance for
mankind. Meaning that the Sunnah is something that can be left off, or
abandoned. Surely this is a disease that has no place in this
wonderful religion )Islam(.
In order to address this issue we must ask ourselves an important
question. How do we worship Allaah? Do we worship Him any way we want?
Is there a correct methodology to worshipping Allaah? Is it sufficient
for us to say and do whatever it is that we feel is worship and then
call it worship and it will be accepted assuch? Let us consider the
saying of Allaah )which means(:"O you who believe! Obey Allaah and
obey the Messenger, and make not vain your deeds!"]Quran; 47: 33[
You must know that the Quran and the Sunnah donot contradict one
another, rather they complement one another. When Allaah Says in this
verse that theMessengeris to be obeyed, he is not only talking to that
honorablegroup of Muslims that accompanied the Prophetduring his
lifetime. He is speaking toall of the Muslims that will come up until
the Last Day.
Similarly, no one is ready to conceive the notion that when Allaah,
Says)what means(:"O you who believe!"that the only ones who believe
are the Muslims who were with the Prophetat that time and no one after
them believed and no one else will ever believe! This would be grossly
limiting the Quran.
Satan is crafty! He may then try to sway your thinking from another
angle. He may say that the Quran is simple to understand and that it
needs no explanation. For it is true that Allaah Says )what means(:"We
have indeed made the Quran easyto understand and remember"]Quran; 54:
32[
However, although the Quran is easy to understand, it does need to be
explained so that it is properly understood. Allaah Says )what
means(:"And when We have recited it to you ]O Muhammad through Jibreel
)Gabriel([ then follow you its )The Quran's( recital. Then it is for
Us )Allaah( to make it clear )toyou(."]Quran; 75: 18,19[
Surely if the Quran had tobe made clear to the Messengerthen how much
more so to you andI?
Allaah Says )what means(:"…And We have sent down unto you )O Muhammad(
the Reminder, that you may explain clearly to men what is sent downto
them, and that they may give thought."]Quran; 16: 44[
In this verse, Allaah is exhorting the Messengerto not merely recite
the Quran but to explain it as well. Obviously, some explanation is
required even to the most pious of men.
Furthermore, giving the needed details to carry out certaincommands
given in the Quran was another very vital role played by the Sunnah.
For example, Allaah commands us to establish the Prayers and topay the
obligatory charity)Zakaah(, saying )what means(:"And establish the
prayers and give Zakaah )the obligatory charity( and bow with those
whobow ]in worship and obedience[."]Quran; 2:43[ Yet, nowhere in the
Quran does Allaah give the required details to implement His command,
and it was the Sunnah that gave us all the details of the how,
when,who of this command.
Additionally, Allaah Says)what means(:"…)And( if you differ in
anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allaah and His Messenger, if
you believe in Allaah and the Last Day. That is better and more
suitable for finaldetermination."]Quran; 4: 59[
Once again, if we try to leave off the importance of the Sunnah, then
how do we implement this verse of the Quran? Allaah orders us to refer
our differences to Him. This means for us to seek our answers from the
Quran. He also attaches the Messengerto that particular order when
Hestated for us to refer to Him. If we leave off the Sunnah then this
part of the verse has no meaning. Allaah Says)what means(:"Whoever
obeys the Messenger, has obeyed Allaah."]Quran; 4: 80[
And )what means(: "Say)O Muhammad(: If you)really( love Allaah, then
follow me, Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins." ]Quran; 3:
31[
How can the Muslims of today follow the Prophetand not refer to his
Sunnah? How can we say that we love Allaah and not try to follow the
methodology of His Prophet?
Finally I would like to conclude with a Hadeeth)narration( from the
Messenger of Allaahthat was collected by Imaam Maalikin his book
called Muwatta. TheProphetsaid:"I have left behind two matters. Those
who hold fast to them will never go astray: The Book of Allaah and the
Sunnah of His Messenger."
The reason that many of the Muslims are going astray today is because
they are not only leaving off the Sunnah but they are leaving the
Quran as well! If you are not giving the Sunnah its rights, then you
are not giving the Quran its rights.
Without the Sunnah thenthe second statement of your
Shahaadah)testimony of faith( also has no meaning.

Dought & clear - Is it permissible to givezakaat al-fitr two years in advance by analogy with the zakaah on one’s wealth?

Is it permissible to give zakaat al-fitr two years in advance by
analogy with giving zakaah of one's wealth two years in advance?
Praise be to Allah.
The time when zakaat al-fitr becomes obligatory begins at sunset on
the last day of Ramadan. The Sunnah indicates that it is permissible
to give it one or two days before the day of Eid. See the answer to
question no. 37636
The Hanafis are of the view that an analogy may be drawn between
zakaah of one's wealth and zakaat al-fitr, so they say that it is
permissible to bring it forward.
As-Sarkhasi said inal-Mabsoot, 3/110: The correct view in our opinion
is that bringing it (zakaat al-fitr) forwardby one or two years is
permissible. End quote.
However, what appears to be the case is that bringing it forward ahead
of the time prescribed in sharee'ah is not permissible.
There are two significant differences between zakaat al-fitr and
zakaah on one's wealth:
1.
The reason for zakaat al-fitr becoming obligatory is sunset on the
last day of Ramadan, whereas the reason for zakaah on one's wealth
becoming obligatory is possession of the nisaab (minimum threshold of
wealth at which zakaah becomes obligatory). Bringing something forward
and doing it before the reason for it comes into effect is not
permissible. Hence if a person hastens to pay zakaah on his wealth
before he has possessionof the nisaab, that is not acceptable.
Ash-Shiraazi said inal-Muhadhdhab: It is notvalid to pay it in
advancebefore the month of Ramadan, because that is bringing it
forward and doing it before the two reasons for it [i.e., fasting and
sunset on the last day of Ramadan]. That is like paying zakaah on
one's wealth before one has acquired the nisaab and one full (hijri)
year has passed since that date. End quote.
See:Manzoomat Usool al-Fiqh wa Qawaa'idihiby Ibn 'Uthaymeen, p. 143
2.
The purpose behind zakaat al-fitr is make thepoor independent of means
on the day of Eid, but this purpose is not met if zakaat al-fitr is
brought forward. That isunlike zakaah on one's wealth, the purpose of
which is to make the poor independent of means in general terms and is
not limited to a specific time.
There is also a third way in which we may differentiate between them,
which is: zakaat al-fitr is a small amount, so it does not serve a
great purpose for the poor person if it is brought forward, unlike
zakaah on one's wealth.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear - Will anyone come out of Paradise or out of Hell after entering it? What is the reward for good deeds done by thedisbelievers?

With all due respect to the one who answered question no. 21365 about
the two verses (no. 106, 107) of Soorat Hood, you stated that the
people of Hell will abide therein forever and ever and will never come
out of it. However, I read inSaheehal-Bukhaari(Book 2, 12, 72) that
Allah will show mercy to some of the people of Hell and will admit
them to Paradise because of what there is in their hearts of faith in
Him. Which of the two is more correct? If both are correct, how can we
reconcile between them? Based on that, do the verses in Soorat Hood
indicate that some of those who do good deeds will remain for a
similar period in Paradise but in the end they will enter Hell? If
that is not the case, then how will these disbelievers who spend their
lives in the service of humanity then die in non-Muslim countries –
like Mother Teresa – be rewarded?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
We appreciate the questioner's interest in the answers that we publish
on our website and his following up on them. We also appreciate
hisquestion about the apparent contradiction, which is indicative of
his love of learning and his efforts to benefit from what he reads,
insha Allah.
Secondly:
There is no contradiction between what is mentioned in the answer to
the question referred to, and the hadeeths referred to in the
question. To explain further, the people of Hell are of two types:
1.
The first type are monotheists (people who affirmed the Oneness of
Allah) who mixed good deeds with bad deeds. Allah will admit them to
Hell for their sins, and He has willed that they should be punished
there.
This category will be punished in Hell for a while, and Allah, may He
be exalted, is the One Who will determine the length thereof. Then He
will bring them out of the Fire and will decree that they will abide
for eternity in Paradise after that.
These are the ones referred to in the hadeeths mentioned in the
question, in which it is stated that some of those who are in the Fire
will be brought out because of what they believe in of Tawheed (the
Oneness of Allah). They are the people of Hell among the Muslims.
2.
The second type are the disbelievers and hypocrites who do nothave any
belief in Tawheed and who die in a state of disbelief, shirk
(polytheism), atheism or hypocrisy.
This category will be punished in Hell for eternity. Their Lord warned
them that they would abide in Hell for eternity if theydid not do what
Allah, may He be exalted, commanded them to do of affirming His
Oneness (Tawheed) and devoting all their acts of worship to Him
alone. They chose for themselves kufr (disbelief) and they chose to
abide for eternity in the Fire.
These are the ones who are referred to in the verses of Soorat Hood
referred to at the beginning of your question.
Thirdly:
From what we have mentioned above, youwill realise that being admitted
to Hell is not just for one group; rather it is for two groups, one of
which will be brought out of it. They are the monotheists (believers
in Tawheed,the Oneness of Allah) who committed sins that meant that
they deserved to enter Hell.The other group will not be brought out of
it; those are the ones who disbelieved and died in a state of
disbelief.
With regard to Paradise, none will enter it except one group, namely
the monotheists (believers in Tawheed). When a person enters it, he
will never exit from it;rather he will enjoy what it contains, and he
will never feel sorrow or despair, he will never die or fall sick, he
will never grow old or be deprived of that delight after he has tasted
it.
Once you understand that there are two categories of people, those who
believe andthose who disbelieve, those who are blessed(destined for
Paradise) and those who are doomed (destined for Hell), then you will
be able to understand what is mentioned in the Book of Allah, may He
be exalted, of the decree that there will be no exit from Hell, and
that those who are referred to in this case are the disbelievers who
will abide in Hell forever, as Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Thus Allah will show them their deeds as regrets for them. And they
will never get outof the Fire"
[al-Baqarah 2:167]
"They will long to get out of the Fire, but never will they get
outtherefrom, and theirs will be a lasting torment"
[al-Maa'idah 5:37].
With regard to those who are blessed (destined for Paradise) and the
people of faith, Allah, may He be exalted, has decreed that they will
not exit from Paradise, as He, may He be exalted, says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"No sense of fatigue shall touch them, nor shall they (ever) be asked
to leave it"
[al-Hijr 15:48].
For more information,please see the answers to questions no. 31174,
26792and 45804
Fourthly:
Once this is understood clearly, it should be noted that ifthe
disbeliever does something that is deserving of reward, he will be
rewarded for it in this world, notin the Hereafter. His disbelief
prevents his deed being accepted in such a way that he may benefit
from it in the Hereafter, becauseone of the conditions of good deeds
being accepted is that one should be Muslim.
At-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If a person does a righteous deed without fearing Allah – i.e., he is
a mushrik or polytheist – he will be given a reward for that in this
world, such as if he upholds ties of kinship, gives to one who is in
need out of compassion, and other such righteous deeds. Allahwill give
him the reward of his good deed in this world, such as increasing his
livelihood and provision, giving him joy in what He blesses himwith,
warding off from him the harms ofthis world, and so on. But he will
not have any share (of reward) in the Hereafter.
Tafseer at-Tabari, 15/265
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercyon him) said:
Al-Qaadi 'Iyaad said: There is scholarly consensus that the deeds of
the disbelievers will not benefit them [in the Hereafter]; they will
not be rewarded for them with joy and no punishment will be reduced
for them, even though some of them will be more severely punished than
others.
Al-Fath, 9/48
It should be understood that Allah,may He be exalted, will not cause
the reward for their deedsthat benefit people to be lost; but their
reward will come in this world and not in the Hereafter. As for the
believer, the reward for his good deeds will be in this world and in
the Hereafter.
It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be uponhim) said:"If the kaafir does a
good deed, he is fed because of it in this world. As for the believer,
Allah stores up his good deeds for him in the Hereafter and grants him
provision in accordance with his obedience in this world.
Narrated by Muslim (2808).
According to another report:: "Allaah does not treat the believer
unjustly with regard to his good deeds. He blesses him because of them
in this world and He will reward him for them in the Hereafter. As for
the kaafir, he is fed because of the good deeds that he does for the
sake of Allaah in this world, then when he passes on into the
Hereafter, he will haveno good deeds left for which to be rewarded."
You should understand that this reward in this world is not definite;
rather it is subject to the will of Allah. Allah, may He be glorified
and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):"Whoever wishes for
the quick-passing (transitory enjoyment of this world), We readily
grant him what We will for whom We like" [al-Isra' 18:18].
Ash-Shanqeeti (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It should be understood that this matter, for which we have quoted
evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah, that the disbeliever may benefit
from his righteous deeds in this world, such as honouring his parents,
upholding ties of kinship, honouring guests and neighbours, relieving
people of distress and so on – all of that is subject to the will of
Allah, may He be exalted, as He has stated in the verse
(interpretation of the meaning):"Whoever wishes for the quick-passing
(transitory enjoyment of this world), We readily grant him what We
will for whom We like" [al-Isra' 18:18].
This verse is specific and specifies what is mentioned in general
terms in other verses and hadeeths.
Adwa' al-Bayaan, 3/450
What we have mentioned about Allah, may He be exalted, rewarding
whomever He wills among the disbelievers does not apply to Mother
Teresa, whose original name was Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu. She originally
came from Macedonia and died in1997 CE. She was a missionary nun
whosework focused on helping the poor, destitute and sick, andshe used
her work to try to convert them to Christianity. The deedsof a person
like this cannot be called "good" and whatever provision he or she
gets in this world is not the reward of good deeds; rather it is
provision that is granted by Allah, for which those who disbelieve in
Him will be punished, as Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation ofthe meaning):
"And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said, 'My Lord, make this city
(Makkah) a place of security and provide its people with fruits, such
of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day.' He (Allah) answered:
'As for him who disbelieves, I shall leave him in contentment for a
while, then I shall compel him to the torment of the Fire, and worst
indeed is that destination!'"
[al-Baqarah 2:126].
To sum up, the deeds of the disbelievers in this world are of two types:
1.
Those that are worldlydeeds such as acts of kindness, in which it is
not stipulated that one should have the intention of drawing close to
Allah, such as upholding ties of kinship, honouring guests, and so on.
Thisis what is referred to in the hadeeth, for which the disbeliever
will be rewarded in this world if Allah wants to reward him.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It is clearly stated in this hadeeth that (the disbeliever) is fed in
this world because of what he does of good deeds, i.e., what he does
seeking thereby to draw closer to Allahof actions in which their
validity does not depend on the intention, such as upholding ties of
kinship, giving charity, manumitting slaves, hosting guests,and other
good deeds.
Sharh Muslim(17/150)
2.
Those that are worldlydeeds, in which the doer's intention is to
spread his religion and mislead Muslims away from their religion.
These are notincluded in the hadeeth; rather the sternest warnings is
given to the one who does them, because heis turning people away from
the religion of Allah and exploiting people's needs, poverty and
sickness for this evil purpose. That includeswhat Mother Teresa and
other missionaries and promoters of falsehood are doing.
With regard to religious actions in which it is stipulated that one
should have the intention of drawing close to Allah, such as Hajj,
'Umrah and du'aa' (supplication), the disbeliever will not berewarded
for these either in this world or in the Hereafter, because it is
invalid, as some of the conditions of its beingaccepted are not
present, i.e., being Muslim, being sincere towards Allah alone, and
following (the Sunnah). Moreover, disbelief (kufr) renders good deeds
invalid, so the one who does them will not benefit from them at all on
the Day of Resurrection.
And Allah knows best.