Jabal that admits of differing interpretations. Outside the school, however, it has been said that, for fewer than thirty cattle, one sheep is due for every five, by analogy with camels; that for thirty-five, a tabīʿ (a young bovine of the prescribed age) and one sheep are due; and that numbers exceeding forty are assessed proportionately in terms of a musinna (a cow of the prescribed age). Thus, for forty-five, one musinna and one-eighth of a musinna are due; for fifty, one musinna and one-quarter of a musinna; and similarly for further increases up to sixty, when two tabīʿs are due.
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Camels of all breeds constitute a single category and are combined for zakat assessment. Likewise, cattle of all breeds, whether buffalo or otherwise, are combined for zakat assessment. Sheep and goats, too, of all breeds, are combined for zakat assessment. I know of no disagreement on this except the view of Ibn Lubāba that sheep and goats constitute two separate categories and are not combined for zakat assessment, and that gold and silver likewise constitute two separate categories and are not combined. He cited as evidence the words of Allah, Almighty and Majestic:
“It is He who produces gardens, both trellised and untrellised” [al-An‘ām: 141], continuing to His words, “Eight mates: of sheep, two, and of goats, two” [al-An‘ām: 143], and then to His words, “And of camels, two, and of cattle, two” [al-An‘ām: 144].
He argued that if goats belonged to the same category as sheep, cattle would belong to the same category as camels, since the recited text makes no distinction between the two cases. This conveys the meaning of his statement, rather than its exact wording.
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In some narrations, the Prophet’s document concerning zakat, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, states:
“Whoever is asked to pay it as prescribed should pay it; whoever is asked for more should not pay it.”
It is also related from Jarīr ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Bajalī, who said:
“Some people came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, ‘Some zakat collectors come to us and treat us unjustly.’ He replied, ‘Keep your zakat collectors satisfied.’ They asked, ‘Even if they treat us unjustly?’ He replied, ‘Keep your zakat collectors satisfied, even if they treat you unjustly.’” Jarīr said, “After that, no zakat collector ever left me except satisfied.”
It has been said that the ruling in the zakat document abrogates what is related in Jarīr’s hadith, on the grounds that the document is later, since the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not send it out to his officials before his death. It has also been said that the meaning is that payment should be withheld from them when withholding it is not feared to cause unrest, but not