consists of gold and silver. Livestock comprises camels, cattle, sheep, and goats. Agricultural produce comprises the grains, fruits, and grapes that grow from the earth. The Sunnah excludes everything other than these three categories from the general scope of Allah’s words, Mighty and Majestic:
“Take charity from their wealth to cleanse and purify them thereby.” [al-Tawbah: 103]
The Sunnah also exempts some wealth within these three categories, as explained earlier when discussing the minimum threshold and fruits that are neither measured in wasqs nor stored.
Section on the Conditions That Make Zakat Obligatory
Zakat becomes obligatory when five conditions are met: Islam, freedom, possession of the minimum threshold, the passage of a year except for produce of the earth, and freedom from debt in the case of monetary wealth.
Section
The evidence that Islam is a condition for zakat to become obligatory is the statement of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:
“Take charity from their wealth to cleanse and purify them thereby.” [al-Tawbah: 103]
Such cleansing and purification do not apply to disbelievers. Further evidence is provided by His words, Exalted is He:
“Successful indeed are the believers” [al-Mu’minūn: 1], through to His words: “and those who pay zakat.” [al-Mu’minūn: 4]
The evidence that freedom is a condition is Allah’s statement, Exalted is He:
“Take charity from their wealth.” [al-Tawbah: 103]
By saying, “Take charity from their wealth” [al-Tawbah: 103], He indicates that a slave is not intended. A slave’s property cannot unreservedly be called his own, since, by consensus, he may not dispose of it through gifts, charity, and similar acts as a property owner may dispose of his wealth. It is his property only in a qualified sense. The evidence that his ownership is valid is Allah’s statement, Exalted is He:
“Marry off the unmarried among you and the righteous among your male and female slaves. If they are poor, Allah will enrich them out of His bounty.” [al-Nūr: 32]
Someone who cannot own property cannot properly be described as poor or rich. For this reason, according to Mālik’s school, a slave may have sexual relations with a slave woman whom he owns, since Mālik recognizes his capacity to own property.
The evidence that possession of the minimum threshold is a condition is the authentic hadith:
“No zakat is due on less than five wasqs, no zakat is due on fewer than five camels, and no zakat is due on less than five ūqiyyahs of silver.”