The answer: The Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, fixed it at one sāʿ in order to prevent dispute. The buyer and seller might otherwise disagree: the seller might say, “Its milk was abundant,” while the buyer might say, “Its milk was scant.” Therefore, in order to end such disputes, the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, fixed its amount and valuation for the Ummah until the Day of Resurrection.

Third: Why did he not say, “A sāʿ of food,” making it like the zakāt al-fiṭr, which may be given in wheat, barley, or raisins? Why did he instead say, “A sāʿ of dates”?

The answer: Because dates are among the foods most closely resembling milk. Milk contains sweetness and nourishment, and so do dates. If you were to compare milk with bread, you would find the difference greater; but milk and dates are similar. Both may be eaten or drunk fresh, without effort or cooking.

Issue: If dates are unavailable, whatever takes their place is sufficient.

Fourth: If the buyer wishes to return the milk that he milked and says to the seller, “I milked one sāʿ of milk, or half a sāʿ of milk, and it is still present; I will return it to you in kind,” should we say that the seller must accept it, since the buyer has returned the very property that belonged to him? Or should we say that the Sacred Law has specified its compensation as dates, so we do not depart from what the Sacred Law has prescribed?

The answer: Some scholars said that if he returns it in its original condition, the seller is obliged to accept it, because the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, stipulated the dates as compensation for it, since ordinarily the buyer consumes the milk once he has milked it.

Other scholars said that the seller cannot be compelled to accept the milk, because he sold the milk while it was attached to the animal, and the buyer separated it, making it liable to souring