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He was also asked:
A village inhabited by farmers is divided into two halves. One farmer in one half owns enough sheep for zakat to be due, while the farmers in the other half do not own enough sheep for zakat to be due. The imam has required the village’s farmers to pay zakat on the sheep. Is it due from those whose flocks reach the minimum threshold? If it is due from them, may the imam collect it from those whose flocks do not reach that threshold?
He answered:
If the amount demanded is what Allah has prescribed for those liable for zakat, they alone must pay it. But if the amount demanded unjustly exceeds what is obligatory, all should share in paying it in proportion to their wealth. And Allah knows best.
وَسُئِلَ:
عَنْ قَرْيَةٍ بِهَا فَلَّاحُونَ وَهِيَ نِصْفَانِ:
أَحَدُ فَلَّاحِي النِّصْفِ لَهُ غَنَمٌ تَجِبُ فِيهَا الزَّكَاةُ وَالنِّصْفُ الْآخَرُ لَيْسَ لِفَلَّاحِيهِ غَنَمٌ.
قَدْرُ مَا تَجِبُ فِيهِ الزَّكَاةُ فَأَلْزَمَ الْإِمَامُ أَهْلَ الْقَرْيَةِ بِزَكَاةِ الْغَنَمِ عَلَى الْفَلَّاحِينَ:
فَهَلْ تَجِبُ عَلَى مَنْ لَهُ النِّصَابُ؟
وَإِذَا وَجَبَتْ عَلَيْهِ:
فَهَلْ يَجُوزُ لِلْإِمَامِ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مِمَّنْ لَيْسَ لَهُ نِصَابٌ؟ .
فَأَجَابَ:
إنْ كَانَ الْمَطْلُوبُ هُوَ مِقْدَارُ مَا فَرَضَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى مَنْ تَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ الزَّكَاةُ اخْتَصُّوا بِأَدَائِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ الْمَطْلُوبُ فَوْقَ الْوَاجِبِ عَلَى سَبِيلِ الظُّلْمِ اشْتَرَكَ فِيهِ الْجَمِيعُ بِحَسَبِ أَمْوَالِهِمْ وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.