to pay zakat on his slave or his horse.” This indicates that zakat is not obligatory on possessions acquired for purposes other than trade, and that they are excluded from the general scope of Allah’s words, Mighty and Majestic:
“Take charity from their wealth to purify and cleanse them thereby.” [al-Tawbah: 103]
According to Mālik and all his followers, jewellery intended to be worn is likewise excluded from this general wording by analogy with these possessions.
He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “No zakat is due on less than five ūqiyyahs, on fewer than five camels, or on less than five wasqs.” This makes clear that no zakat is due on amounts below these thresholds, which are thus excluded from the general wording.
He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, also explained the amount of zakat due, saying: “Bring me one-fortieth: one dirham out of every forty dirhams.” He also said: “For every twenty mithqāls of gold, half a mithqāl is due.” And he said: “On what is watered by rainfall, springs, or natural ground moisture, one-tenth is due; on what is irrigated by drawing water, half of one-tenth.” Concerning zakat on livestock, he said: “For twenty-four camels or fewer, sheep are due…”—the hadith. He also said: “For every thirty cattle, a yearling calf is due, and for every forty, a two-year-old cow.” [“For every forty sheep, one sheep is due.”]
Section
His saying, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, “No zakat is due on less than five wasqs,” indicates that zakat is not obligatory on fruit or vegetables, but only on produce measured in wasqs and stored as staple food, such as grains and other foodstuffs. This is the position of Mālik and all his followers except Ibn Habīb, who held that zakat was obligatory on fruit. Accordingly, Mālik regarded fruit and vegetables as excluded from the general scope of Allah’s words, Most High:
“Take charity from their wealth to purify and cleanse them thereby.” [al-Tawbah: 103]
They are also excluded from the general scope of the Prophet’s saying, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “On what is watered by rainfall, springs, or natural ground moisture, one-tenth is due; on what is irrigated by drawing water, half