all year, no zakah is payable, for the condition is that they be pasture-grazing animals for the whole year or for most of it.

However, if a person is trading in sheep, for example, and does not keep them for growth and breeding but rather buys an animal today and sells it tomorrow seeking profit, then zakah is due on that stock even if he owns only one animal, provided its value reaches the nisab in silver. Trade goods are liable to zakah in every circumstance, and their nisab is tied to the nisab of gold or silver. In our times silver is normally more beneficial to the poor, because gold is expensive.

The third category of zakatable wealth is what the earth produces—grains and fruits such as dates, wheat, rice, barley, and the like. This too must reach the nisab, which is three hundred saʿ according to the prophetic saʿ. Those who collect zakah from the farmers know the exact measure.

Thus, if a person owns date-palms that bear fruit and the crop reaches the nisab, zakah becomes obligatory. He must set it aside from the average quality—neither from the very best, thereby wronging himself, nor from the inferior, thereby wronging the poor, but from the middle grade. If he sells the produce, he pays zakah from the sale price.

The rate of zakah on agricultural produce is one-tenth when the crop is watered naturally, without pumps or engines—that is, ten percent. So if the harvest comes to 10,000 kilograms, 1,000 kilograms are due. If, however, the water is raised by artificial means such as pumps or engines, only half of a tenth is due; out of 10,000 kilograms he owes just 500, because the one who