The Zakat of crops and fruits is obliged by the Book and the Sunnah. As for the Book, there is the saying of the Allah (swt) :
“And give its right the day of its harvesting” [Al-Anam: 141] As for the Sunnah, there is the saying of the Prophet (saw) : “There is no Sadaqah on anything less than five (Awsuq)” (agreed upon). Awsuq is plural of Wasq which is a measure of 60 sa’a and the Sa’a is 2.176 kg. Also ibn ‘Umar narrated from the Prophet (saw) who said: “There is tithe (‘Ushr) on land which receives its water from the sky, a river or was ‘Athariyya (trees or plants watered by rain). There is half-tithe on land which was irrigated by a bucket from rivers or wells” (collected by Bukhari).
The types of Crops and Fruits upon which Zakat is obliged
Zakat is obliged upon wheat, barley, dates and raisins due to what Musa b. Talha narrated from ‘Umar who said: “Verily the Prophet (saw) only decreed the sunnah Zakat in these four: wheat, barley, dates and raisins.” Musa b. Talha also said: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) also commanded Muaz b. Jabal-when he sent him to Yemen-that he should take Sadaqah from wheat, barley, dates and grapes.” These Ahadith clarify that the Zakat in crops and fruits is only taken from these four types, namely wheat, barley, dates and raisins. It is not taken from other types of crops and fruits. This is because the first Hadith begins with the word “Innama” which indicates restriction. What also emphasises the limiting of Zakat in these four types is what was collected by Al-Hakim, Al-Bayhaqi and At-Tabarani from the Hadith of Abu Musa and Muaz when the Prophet (saw) sent them to Yemen to teach people the matters of their deen; so he said: “Don’t take Sadaqah except from these four: Barley, wheat, raisins and dates.” Al-Bayhaqi said of this Hadith: Its narrators are trustworthy and it has a continuous transmission. This Hadith is explicit in limiting the taking of Zakat in crops and fruits in these four types, because the word “Illa” (except) if preceded by the article of negation or prohibition would mean restricting what is before it to what is after it i.e. restricting the taking of Sadaqah to the four types mentioned after it. These are barley, wheat, raisins and dates.
Also as the words wheat, barley, dates and raisins which came in the Hadith are defective nouns (not derived), then these words do not cover others whether through their direct meaning (Mantuq), their indirect meaning (Mafhum) or by indispensable indication (Iltizam). This is because they are not descriptive nouns (Asma Sifaat) or nouns of meanings (Asma Ma’ani); rather they are limited to the specific assets (‘Ayaan) that are named or mentioned. Therefore one could not derive from their wording the meaning of nourishment (i.e. food) or dryness or storage as their wording does not indicate these meanings or descriptions. These Ahadith that restrict the obligation of Zakat to these four types of crops and fruits specify the general wording present in the Ahadith: “There is tithe on that land which gets water from the sky, and half-tithe on that land irrigated by a pot or Daliya (a sort of bucket).” So it means that tithe is due on whatever was watered by the sky of wheat, barley, dates and raisins and what was irrigated by a pot, Gharab or buckets.
Zakat is not obliged on other than these four types of crops and fruits. Therefore, no Zakat is taken from maize, rice, beans, chickpeas, lentils or other types of grains and legumes. Similarly, it is not taken from apples, pears, peaches, apricots, promenade, oranges, banana or other types of fruits because these types of grains and fruits are not included by the words wheat, barley, dates or raisins. Also there is no authentic and genuine text, Ijma’a or analogy ( Qiyas) covering them. This is because Zakat is of the worships (‘Ibadat) and analogy (Qiyas) does not function in worships which are strictly limited to the text. Likewise Zakat is not taken from vegetables such as cucumber, squash, aubergine, turnip, carrots etc. It has been narrated from ‘Umar, Ali, Mujahid and others that there is no Sadaqah on vegetables as narrated by Abu Ubaid, Al-Bayhaqi and others. The Nisab of Crops and Fruits
The lowest Nisab of crops and fruits upon which Zakat is obliged is five Awsuq. So if wheat, barley, dates and raisins do not reach five Awsuq there is no Zakat upon them, due to what was narrated from Abu Said al-Khudri who said: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “Nothing is taken until it reaches five Awsuq.” Also from Jabir who said: “Sadaqah is not obliged except on five Awsuq” (collected by Muslim). The Wasq is sixty Sa’a as Abu Said and Jabir narrated from the Prophet (saw) who said: “The Wasq is sixty sa’a.” The Sa’a is four amdad and the mudd is 1 1/3 Baghdadi ounces. The Sa’a is equivalent to 2.176 kilograms and the wasq is equivalent to 130.56 kilograms of wheat. So the weight of five Awsuq - which is the Nisab of Zakat-of wheat is 652 kilograms. This weight differs from the weight of barley, dates and raisins as these are not of equal weight for the same volume measure, and the Nisab depends upon the volume not the weight, because Zakat is related to it as was stated in the relevant Ahadith.
The time of collecting the Zakat in Grains and Fruits
If the grains and fruits produced by the land reach five Awsuq, the Zakat on grains is taken after it is harvested, ground and cleaned. While in fruits it is taken after they dry such that the fresh dates (Rutab) become dates and grapes become raisins. The passing of a year is not a condition, instead it is the harvesting, cleaning and drying due to the saying of Allah (swt) ta’ala:
“And give its right the day of its harvesting” [Al-Anam: 141]
Also the Sunnah indicated that Zakat is taken after fresh dates and grapes dry such that they change into dates and raisins and after grains are harvested, ground and cleaned.
Estimation of Fruits
It is obligatory upon the State to send evaluators (Khurraas) to estimate thr fruits that people have from their palm trees (an-Nakhl) and grapes after their ripeness becomes apparent. This is due to what Attab b. Usayd narrated: “The Prophet (saw) used to send persons to the people to evaluate their grapes and fruits” (narrated by Abu Dawud, ibn Majah and At-Tirmizi). Using different wording, Attab said: “The Prophet (saw) commanded that grapes be estimated just like palm trees and its Zakat taken as raisins just like the Zakat of palm trees is taken as dates. The Prophet (saw) used to do that, so he estimated a garden of a woman living in Wadi Al-Qura.” (narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad). Abu Bakr acted according to this as did the Khulafa’a after him.
The estimators should leave a third or a fourth of their estimation as a dispensation to fruit owners as they require this for eating and feeding their guests, neighbours, families, friends, passers by, those who ask them and for the food of birds that feed upon them. Sahl b. Abu Huthma narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) used to say: “When you estimate, take and leave behind a third. If not a third, then leave behind a fourth” (narrated by Abu Dawud, At-Tirmizi and An-Nisai). Makhul said: “When the Messenger of Allah (saw) sent evaluators he would say: ‘Be lenient, for there are fruits that are lost due to bad weather, fruits that fall down and those that are used by the eaters.’” Wheat and barley are not estimated as that was not done by the Messenger of Allah (saw) ; also their estimation is not easy as is the situation with palm trees and grapes. Also the fruits of palm trees and grapes are eaten fresh so they are estimated upon their owners as a dispensation for them so as to enable them to eat of the fruits and dispose of through sale, food, gifts etc... after which they pay Zakat upon what was estimated. Dates and grapes are estimated in all their types collectively, whether good or bad, and are then collected together. However dates are not gathered together with grapes just as wheat is not gathered together with barley.
If the fruits suffer damage after estimation and before drying, or are damaged without deliberate negligence or are stolen before and after drying, the owner is not responsible for the estimated amount nor is Zakat obliged upon them unless what remains is equivalent to the Nisab.
The Amount of Zakat taken on Crops and Fruits
If the wheat, barley, dates or raisins produced from the land reach five Awsuq then one-tenth (tithe) is obliged on them if they are watered without personal effort i.e. manually. This includes being watered by rainwater from the sky, rivers or they drink water by extraction of water by its roots, without being watered similar to trees that are planted in land where water is near to the surface or close to a river or irrigation canal such that their tree-roots reach to water without any need for irrigation. Half-tithe is obliged in what is irrigated with effort, like drawing from wells by watering cans and rivers by water wheels. From ‘Ali who said: “The tithe in what was watered by the sky and half-tithe in what was irrigated by drawing from wells and rivers.” Bisr b. Said said: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) obliged Zakat of the tithe in what is watered by the sky, that which is not watered or watered by springs, and half-tithe in what was irrigated by water scoops.” Hakam b. Utayba said: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) wrote to Muaz when he was in Yemen: ‘The tithe in what was watered by the sky or river (Ghayla), and half-tithe in what was irrigated by bucket (Gharb).’” The majority of the year is what is relevant in relation to irrigation. If it is watered most of the year without effort, then the tithe is taken, whereas if it is irrigated by effort most of the year, then half-tithe is taken. If it is watered for half of the year without effort, and irrigated with effort in the second half, then threequarter tithe is taken.
How to collect Sadaqat in Crops and Fruits
The principle in the Zakat of crops and fruits is to be taken from the same crop or fruit in which Zakat is obliged. Its average is taken, not the best nor the worst. It is not allowed for the Sadaqah collector to aim to take the best of the crops and fruits in Sadaqah due to the Prophet (saw) ’s statement: “Avoid the best of their wealth.” Similarly it is not allowed for the crops or fruits owner to intend to give the worst crops and fruits for Sadaqah, due to the saying of Allah (swt) :
“Do not aim at getting anything bad in order that you may give away something of it” [Al-Baqarah: 267]
Also the Prophet (saw) prohibited taking the Ja’arur and Lawn al-Hubayq in the Sadaqah (narrated by An-Nisai). These are two types of bad dates; the first becomes shell around a seed, and the latter becomes bad dates (Hashaf) when it dries.
It is permissible in the Zakat of crops and fruits to take their equivalentin currency or otherwise-instead of taking the exact amount of crop or fruit. This is due to what Amru b. Dinar narrated from Tawus: “The Prophet (saw) sent Muaz to Yemen and he used to take clothes for the Sadaqah of wheat and barley.” Also because there is a type of palm tree whose fresh dates do not become dates, as one finds a type of vine tree grape which does not become raisins, so their value is taken instead. It has been narrated from Muadh in the same subject of Sadaqah that he would take goods instead; this is in his statement: “Give me a fifth or dress which I take from you instead of Sadaqah. It is easier for you and more beneficial for the Muhajirin in Madinah.” It is also found in the Sunnah that the Messenger of Allah (saw) and his companions would oblige a right in money then change it to something else easier for its giver to give than the original money. Of this is the book of the Prophet (saw) to Muaz in Yemen on Jizya: “Upon each mature person is a Dinar or its equivalent in clothes (Mu’afir).” So the Prophet (saw) took goods instead of taking the specific thing itself i.e. he took clothes instead of gold. Of this also is what he wrote to the people of Najran: “Upon them two thousand garments every year or its equivalent in ounces of gold and silver.” ‘Umar (RA) used to take camels in Jizya instead of gold and silver, as Ali used to take needles, ropes and large needles in Jizya instead of gold and silver.