the nisab. Thus, if a person possesses half a nisab of barley and half a nisab of wheat, neither is combined with the other, even though their purpose is the same—especially in the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him—namely, that both are staple foods. Nevertheless, one is not combined with the other, even according to those who hold that gold is combined with silver. Likewise, if a person possesses half a nisab of sheep and half a nisab of cattle, one does not complete the other, even though their purpose is the same, namely growth. This invalidates the reasoning of the first view: one genus is not combined with another genus, whereas one type is combined with another type, as with the varieties of date palms.

Accordingly, if he possesses ten dinars and one hundred dirhams, no zakah is due upon him, because gold is one genus and silver is another.

This is the stronger view, as indicated by the sunnah and sound analogy.

The second issue: according to the view that they are combined, are they combined by fractional proportions or by value?

The established position is that they are combined by fractional proportions, not by value.

It was also said that they are combined by value.

The difference becomes apparent in the following example: if a person possesses one-third of the nisab of gold and half the nisab of silver, and the value of one-third of the gold nisab equals half the silver nisab, then according to those who hold that they are combined by fractional proportions, they do not complete a nisab, because he possesses one-third of a gold nisab and half a silver nisab, the total being one-sixth short of a nisab,