Cognition of many of the Ahkam Shar’iah related to Al-Kharaj, Jizya, Zakat, Diyya, cutting and expiation requires the knowledge of the lengths, measures and weights which were used during the time of the Messenger (saw) and in the era of the honourable Sahabah (may Allah (swt) be pleased with them). As time prolonged away from the usage of these standards of lengths, measures and weights, the majority of them today, if not all of them, have become redundant. Thus, it has become difficult to know these measurements and their values corresponding to the lengths, measures and weights used today, which have become easier to deal with, easier to understand and able to precisely define.
Therefore, the standards of these lengths, measures and weights will be demonstrated to explain their reality and ratio to today’s lengths, measures and weights in order to make them clear, easy to deal with, simple to understand and precise in definition.
Length and Area
A Jareeb was the only basic unit of area. It was applied to measure arable land and define estate, where the Kharaj was estimated based on this basis. It is reported that Sh’abi said, “Indeed ‘Umar b. Al-Khattab surveyed the Sawad (arable land of Iraq) which reached 630,000,000 Jareeb.” In the book, al- Ahkaam al-Sultaniyya it is said, “The Jareeb is 10 Kasabaats times 10 Kasabaats. The Kafeez is 10 Kasabaats times a Kasabah. And the Kasabah is equal to 6 cubits. Hence the Jareeb is equal to 3600 cubit pieces and the Kafeez is equal to 330 cubits which is a tenth of a Jareeb.
Commenting on the parasang, it has been reported that Ja’afar bin Qudamah said that, “It is a cubit area and is equivalent to the Hashemite cubit, that is 9000 cubits.” Qalqashandi mentioned that, “The Hashemite cubit is equal to a cubit and a third of the hand which is the Mursala (long dispatched) cubit. And the cubit of the hand is equal to 6 handfuls (clasps)on the basis of the average handful. Each handful is the four fingers i.e. the smallest finger, ring finger, the middle and the index finger. Each finger is 6 little hairs laid across.
The Muslims used the following lengths:
The clasp = 4 fingers
The dispatched Mursala cubit = 6 clasps or 24 fingers
The Hashemite cubit = 8 clasps or 32 fingers
The Kasabah = 6 Hashemite cubits
The Jareeb = 100 Kasabaats squared (10 x 10)
The ten Kasabaats = 10 x 6 cubits
Length of the Kasabah = 60 cubits which is the length of the side of the Jareeb.
The area of Jareeb = 60 cubits length of side x 60 cubits = 3600 squared
Hashemite cubits.
Kafeez = 1/10 area of Jareeb, that is it is equal to 360 square Hashemite cubits.
It is possible to understand the reality of these measurements by comparing them to today’s measurement of metre, which is considered to be the easiest and most precise measurement for length and area, if we know the average width of the finger in centimetres.
To calculate, it is clear that the average width of the finger equals 1.925 centimetres and thereby the lengths of this measurement will be as follows:
The arm = 1.925 cms
The clasp = 4 fingers x 1.925 cms (width of the arm) = 7.700 cms
The Mursala cubit = 24 arms x 1.925 cms (width of the arm) = 46.200 cms
The Hashemite cubit = 32 arms x 1.925 cms (width of the arm) = 61.600 cms
Kasabah = 6 Hashemite cubits x 61.600 cms
(length of the Hashemite arm) = 3.696 metres
The ten Kasabaats = 10 x 3.696 metres length of Kasabah = 36.960 metres, the length of Jareeb
Area of Jareeb = 36.960 metres length of Jareeb x 36.960 metres = 1,366 square metres. This is equal to one and a third Dunum (ie. 1 1/3 x 1000sq.m = 1333sq.m).
Area of Kafeez = 1/10 Jareeb, that is 136. 600 sq. metres
This is everything related to the measurements of area. As for the measurements of length of distances, they are the Bareed, parasang and mile. They are evalurated in terms the Mursala cubit which is also called the original cubit, and the Shar’aa cubit whose length is 6 clasps, or 24 fingers, like it came in the measurements of area. The author of al-Ahkaam al-Sultaniyya mentioned that the mile is equal to 4000 Mursala cubits. The books of Fiqh agree that the parasang is equal to 3 miles and a Bareed is equal to 4 parasang. Therefore their estimation according to the previous measurements and the kilometre used today and which is considered to be the easiest and most precise form of measurement of the distance length, will be as follows:
The Mursala cubit = 6 clasps or 24 arms
Mile = 4000 Mursala cubits
Parasang = 3 miles
Bareed = 4 parasangs
In metres and kilometres calculation, they will be as follows:
The Mursala cubit = 24 arms x 1.925 cms (width of the arm) = 46.200 cms Mile = 4000 Mursala cubits x 46.200 cms, length of the Mursala cubit = 1848 metres or 1.848 kms
Parasang = 3 miles x 1848 metres length of a mile = 5544 metres, or 5.544 kms
Bareed = 4 parasang x 5544 metres length of parasang = 22176 metres, or 22.176 kms
In view of the fact that the distance of Al-Qasr is 16 parasang, or 48 miles, in kilometres it will be as follows:
Al-Qasr = 16 parasang x 5.544 kms, length of parasang = 88.704 kms or it is equal 48 miles x 1.848 kms, length of mile = 88.704 kms
Compliance of measurement of area and distance with the standards used in the past is not mandatory from the Shari’ah perspective. This is because they are means and tools which were adopted for carrying out and facilitating tasks. Thus it is permissible to use them or alternatives in following to the easiest, simplest and most precise form. This is though the Jareeb in origin is a Persian measurement and that acre was and still is the unit of measurement in Egypt. Its area is different from the area of the Jareeb.
Since the measurements of metre, kilometre and square metre which are used today are considered the easiest and most precise measurements, it is possible to use the Dunum as the unit for measuring the area of land, the metre as the unit to measure cloth and houses and the kilometre as the unit to measure distance. Thus the Jareeb which ‘Umar ibn Al -Khattab used as the foundation to measure area of Kharaj is equal to 1366 square metres, which is equal to one and one third of a Dunum approximately, because the area of Dunum is 1000 square metres.
Measure and Weight
It has been narrated that Abu Said al-Khudri said, “We used to give a Sa’a from food for Zakat ul-Fitr, or a Sa’a from barley, or a Sa’a from dates, or a Sa’a from cheese, or a Sa’a from the raisons.” It has been narrated from Jabir ibn Abdullah who said, “The Messenger of Allah (saw) would wash himself with a Sa’a and purify himself with Mudd.” And it has been narrated from Abu Saeed al-Khudri, without metioning the Prophet (saw) who said, “There is no Sadaqah in less then 5 Awsuq.”
Al-Wasq is 60 Makhtoom that is a Sa’a by evidence of what has been narrated from al-Hassan and Ibn Sirreen who both said, “Al-Wasq is 60 Sa’a.” Al-Sha’bi narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said to Ka’ab ibn ‘Uzra, “Don’t you have something to slaughter?” He said, “No.” RasoolAllah (saw) said, “Then fast three days or give in charity 3 Sa’a of dates to 6 needy people, giving two of them one Sa’a.” And it has been narrated from Muhammad (saw) bin Ubaidullah al-Thaqafi who said, “‘Umar ibn Al- Khattab imposed on the people of the Sawad on each Jareeb inhabited or overflowing a Dirham and a Kafeez.” Abu ‘Ubaid says in the Book of Funds, “A Sa’a is 4 Amdaad, and the Mud is a pound and third in Baghdadi measurement, thus the a Sa’a is 5 pounds and a third, which is the Sa’a of the Prophet (saw) as Malik and the people of the Hijaz mention.”
Examining the Ahadith, what has been mentioned by the Jurists and Muhadditheen and the linguists about the measures and weights shows that a Sa’a is a unit of measurement for all measures which was used. A Sa’a is equal to 4 Amdaad and a Mudd is a pound and third in Baghdadi measurement and the Baghdadi pound is 128 4/7 Dirhams. The estimate of the Dirham in terms of the gram used today was 3.17 grams. This is not the cash Dirham. The weight of the Shar’i silver Dirham is 2.975 grams. Thus the weight of the Baghdadi pound is 408 grams.
Thereby the values of these measuresand their weights become clear in grams and kilograms from the substance of wheat in the following form:
Al-Mudd = 1 1/3 Pound Baghdadi
Al-Mudd = 1 1/3 Pound x 408 grams, the weight of the Pound = 544 grams, the weight of Mudd of wheat.
Sa’a = 4 Mudds in measure
Sa’a = 4 Mudds x 544 grams the weight of Mudd = 2176 grams the weight of Sa’a of wheat, or 2.176 kilograms the weight of Sa’a of wheat
Kafeez = 12 Sa’a in measure
Kafeez = 12 Sa’a x 2176 grams, the weight of Sa’a = 26112 grams, the weight of Kafeez of wheat or = 26.112 kilograms, the weight of Kafeez of wheat.
Al-Wasq = 60 Sa’a in measure
Al-Wasq of wheat is 60 Sa’a x 2176 grams the weight of Sa’a = 130560 grams, the weight of al-Wasq of wheat, or = 130.56 kilograms the weight al-Wasq of wheat.
From this, the following is clear:
In view of the fact that the Nisab of Zakat is 5 Awsuq its weight will be 652,8 kilograms of wheat since a Sa’a of dates, or cheese, or raisons is different in weight from the weight of a Sa’a of wheat though they are of the same measure. Therefore the weight of the Nisab of Zakat from dates, or raisons or cheese is different from the weight of the Nisab of wheat, because the materials are not equal in weight, though they have the same measure.
Since the Zakat of Ul-Fitr is a Sa’a then in weight it will be 2.176 kilogram of wheat. Similarly ritual redemption is 3 Sa’a, so its weight will be 6.528 kilogram of wheat.
Likwise it is clear that the weight of Kafeez, which ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab put together with the Dirham as Kharaj on the Jareeb in the land of Iraq is equal to 26.112 kilograms of wheat.
The Dirham which was imposed was equal to the weight of the Mithqal that is 4.25 grams of silver. Since the area of Jareeb is equal 1.366 square metres, then it will be the amount ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab put on the Dunum as Kharaj, which was 19.116 kilogram of wheat and 3.11 grams of silver.