505 – It is also reported from Abū Saʿīd — may Allah be pleased with him — that the Messenger of Allah said: “No zakāt is due on less than five awsaq of dates or grain.” The principal wording of Abū Saʿīd’s ḥadīth is agreed upon by al-Bukhārī and Muslim (1).

Vocabulary of the ḥadīth
– awsaq: plural of wasq. Al-Miṣbāḥ mentions an alternative vocalization in which the wāw carries a kasrah. Its plural pattern is like ḥaml/ aḥmāl. The root sense of wasq is “a load” of anything; one says wasaq­tuhu, meaning, “I carried it.”
– ḥabb: with an open ḥāʾ and a doubled bāʾ, denotes seed such as wheat or barley.

Points derived from the two ḥadīths
1 – Zakāt is built on the principle of mutual support; therefore, it is not required on a small amount of wealth that does not suffice for its owner’s basic needs, for he has a greater right to it than anyone else.
2 – Thus, no zakāt is due on less than five uqiyyahs of silver, nor on fewer than five she-camels, nor on less than five awsaq of dates or grain. These represent modest earnings and negligible produce, so zakāt is not obligatory on them.
3 – The niṣāb for silver is two hundred dirhams, equivalent to 595 grams; the niṣāb for camels is five, and anything below that is exempt; the niṣāb for fruits and grains is 300 Prophetic ṣāʿs, and one Prophetic ṣāʿ equals 3,000 grams.
4 – All of this reflects the divine justice shown to His servants: zakāt is an act of mutual assistance and equity, and it is levied only on the wealth of the affluent, while the poor are exempt.