Zakat on Honey and all other Trading Merchandise

প্রশ্ন · Question

Question:

Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
May Allah bless your efforts and make the Ummah benefit from you,
our eminent Ameer, and support you with victory, empowerment, and
make this in the scale of your good deeds, InshaAllah. I have a question
if you allow me.
My question: Is there Zakah on honey? If so, what is the Nisab (the
minimum applicable amount)?
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum,
May Allah bless you and your deeds and make them in the scale of
your good deeds.
My question: I work at a selling point for manufactured gold, i.e. selling
jewelry. My question: How is Zakah calculated?
Knowing that gold is studded with stones, is Zakah paid on the
calculated net gold without stones, or are the gold and stones weighed
and Zakah is paid on the total weight?
How is the Zakah on precious stones (diamonds, rubies, emeralds ...)?
Jazaka Allahu Khair.

উত্তর · Answer

Wa Alaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
Your two questions come from one subject, so we will answer them
together, with Allah’s permission:
1- Zakah is not obligatory except on the wealth which the Shari’a has
specified to take from, such as money, the profits of trade, cattle and
grains, so taking Zakah is limited to the properties which have been
mentioned in a Shari’ text. Therefore, Zakah is not taken from anything
other than the items which have been mentioned in authentic texts,
which are camels, cows, cattle, gold, silver, wheat, barley, dates, and

raisins. We have explained the evidence for all of this in the
Explanation of Article 143 in the book of The Draft Constitution,
Volume Two, so refer to it for more detail.
2- Zakah is not obligatory upon honey, and we mentioned in the book
of The Draft Constitution, Volume Two, when explaining Article 143
regarding honey, the following: (As for what was related from Abu
Sayyarah who said:
در العُشُورَ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، احْمِ لَِي
َ
«
جَبَلَهَا، قَالَ: فَحَمًَّ لَِي جَبَلَهَا وعن عمرو بن شعيب عن أبيه عن جده قال: «
نْ يَحْمًِّيَ
َ
لَهُ أ
َ
حَدُ بَن ِي مُتْعَانَ، إِلََ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِعُشُورِ نَحْلٍ لَهُ، وَكَانَ سَأ
َ
أ لَهُ وَادِياً يُقَالُ لَهُ
يَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ
سَلَبَةُ، فَحَمًَّ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذَلِكَ الْوَادِي. فَلَمَّا وُلَِ رض ي الله عنه
دَّى إِلَيْكَ مَا
َ
لُهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَكَتَبَ عُمَرُ: إِنْ أ
َ
كَتَبَ سُفْيَانُ بْنُ وَهْبٍ إِلََ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ يَسْأ
كَانَ يُؤَدري إِلََ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ عُشُورِ نَحْلِهِ، فَاحْمِ لَهُ سَلَبَةَ، وَإِلاَّ فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ ذُبَابُ غَيْثٍ
كُلُهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ
ْ
يَأ
I said: O Messenger of Allah, I have bees. He said: then pay a tenth. I
said: O Messenger of Allah, protect their mountains for me, so he
did.” and what was narrated from ‘Amru b. Shu’ayb from his father
from his grandfather who said: “Hilal, a man from the tribe of Abu
Mata’n, brought a tenth of honey which he possessed in beehives to
the Messenger of Allah ﷺHe asked him (the apostle of Allah) to give
the wood known as Salabah as a protected (or restricted) land. The
Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave him that wood as a protected land. When
Umar Ibn Al -Khattab succeeded, Sufyan Ibn Wahb wrote to Umar
asking him about this wood. Umar Ibn Al -Khattab wrote to him: if he
(Hilal) pays you the tenth on honey what he used to pay to the
Messenger of Allah ﷺ leave the protected land of Salabah in his
possession; otherwise those bees are like those of any wood; anyone
can take the honey as he likes”. These are not suitable as evidence
that Zakah is taken from honey. This is because the chain of the
narration of Abu Sayyarah is disconnected (Munqati’), as it is from
Sulaiman b. Musa from Abu Sayyarah and Bukhari said: “Sulaiman did

not meet anyone from the companions and there is nothing regarding
Zakah on honey that is authentic”. The narration of ‘Amru b. Shu’ayb is
reported by Abu Dawud and Al -Nisa’i, and Ibn ‘Abd Al -Barr considered
it Hasan in Al-Istidhkar, but despite that it does not indicate that Zakah
is obliged upon honey, since he paid it voluntarily and the valley was
kept for him in exchange, as proven by the evidence of what Umar (ra)
did having understood the reason, and therefore, made a similar
order. This is supported by what is reported from Sa’ad Bin Abu
Dhiubab:
دُّوُا العُشَِّْ ف ِي الْعَسَلِ
َ
نَّهُ قَالَ لَهُمْ: أ
َ
نَّ النَّنِْيَّ ﷺ اسْتَعْمَلَهُ عَلََ قَوْمِهِ وَأ
َ
«
“That the Prophet ﷺ appointed him over his people and he said to
them: Give a tenth of the honey”, which is considered a weak
narration by Bukhari, and al -Azdi and others, and any how Shafi’i said:
“and Sa’ad Bin Abi Dhubab told what was indicated that the:
يْءٌ رَآهُ هُوَ فَتَطَوَّعَ لَهُ بِهِ قَوْمُهُ
نَّهُ شَِ
َ
يْءٍ، وَأ
مُرْهُ فِيهِ بِشَِ
ْ
نَّ النَّنِْيَّ ﷺ لَمْ يَأ
َ
«
“The Prophet ﷺ did not order him with that, but rather it was
something that he thought of and voluntarily suggested it to his
people”. All of this suggest that there is no Zakah upon honey, and
even the narrations which are used as evidence indicate that there was
no obligatory Zakah upon it.) End.
3- Likewise, Zakah is not obliged on precious stones because Sharia did
not make them from Zakah money, and therefore gold mixed with
precious stones is given Zakah after subtracting the weight of precious
stones in it, so it is not included in Zakah, and Zakah is on what remains
of gold after subtracting what is mixed with it, in accordance with the
relevant legal provisions.
4- As for honey and precious stones intended for trade, Zakah is given
on them, and we have explained the details of that in the book of
Funds in the Khilafah State and in the Answer to Question we issued

on 25th Jumada al -Akhirah 1437 AH, corresponding to 03/04/2016 CE,
which reads:
(Trade merchandise is everything other than currency which is used for
trading, buying and selling, for the sake of profit e.g. foodstuffs,
clothing, furniture, manufactured goods, animals, minerals, land,
buildings and other goods that are bought and sold. Zakat is obliged on
merchandise taken for trade. From Samura b. Jundub who said:
«
“See! Verily the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to command us to give
Sadaqah on what we prepared for sale.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud)
Abu Dharr narrated from the Prophet ﷺ who said:
ي اليَْ ر صدقته
«
“There is Sadaqah in Bazz.” (Narrated by Ad-Daarqutni and Al-Baihaqi)
Al-Bazz are clothes and woven material used for trading. Ubaid
narrated from Abu ‘Amra b. Hamas who narrated from his father who
said: “‘Umar ibn Al -Khattab passed by and said: ‘O Hamas, pay the
Zakat on your property’. I said: ‘I don’t have any property except for
Ji’b (quivers) and leather’. He said, ‘Estimate them, then pay their
Zakat’”. Abdur Rahman b. Abdul -Qari said: “I was appointed over Bait
ul-Mal in the time of ‘Umar ibn Al -Khattab. When the gifts were g iven
out, the wealth of the traders was collected and counted, of what was
present or absent. Zakat was then taken from the present wealth for
what was present and absent.” (Narrated by Abu Ubaid)
- Narrated by Ahmad in his Musnad from Malik ibn Aws bin Al
Hadathan An-Nasri, from Abu Dhar, he said: I heard the Messenger of
Allah ﷺ says:
ِبِلِ صَدَقَتُهَا، وَف ِي الْغَنَمِ صَدَقَتُهَا، وَف ِي الْبَقَرِ صَدَقَتُهَا، وَف ِي الْيَْ ر صَدَقَتُهُ
«

“Zakat is on camels, and Zakat is on sheep, and there is zakat on
cows, and there is zakat on Bazz.” Al-Bazz are clothes and woven
material used for trading.
Nawawi said in Al Majmo’ Sharh al Muhathab:
“Zakat is due on trading merchandise because of the narration of Abu
Dhar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
ِبِلِ صَدَقَتُهَا، وَف ِي الْغَنَمِ صَدَقَتُهَا، وَف ِي الْبَقَرِ صَدَقَتُهَا، وَف ِي الْيَْ ر صَدَقَتُهُ
«
“Zakat is on camels, and Zakat is on sheep, and there is Zakat on
cows, and there is Zakat on Bazz”. The purpose of trading is to
generate wealth, so Zakat is attached to it like cattle is to the grazing
grass, “his saying” there is Zakat in Bazz which is written with fat’ha on
the letter ‘ba’ (بand with the letter ‘zai’ (زthus it was narrated by all
the narrators and Ad Daarqutni and al Baihaqi mentioned it with the
letter zai, and the texts by al Shafi’i (may Allah be pleased with him)
the old and new mention the obligation of Zakat on trade. And what is
Mashoor by Ashab that they agree that in the Shafii’s school of
thought (may Allah be pleased with him) it is obligatory.” End
- Ibn Qudamah said in al-Mughni:
“Zakat is due in the value of trading merchandise, in the view of most
scholars. Ibn al -Mundhir said: scholars unanimously agreed that Zakat
is on merchandise intended for trade, if one year has passed on it ...
and for us, as narrated by Abu Dawood, from his Sanad (transmission
of narrations) from Samra bin Jundub he said:
نْ نُخْرِجَ الزَّكَاةَ مِمَّا نُعِدُّهُ لِلْبَيْعِ
َ
مُرُنَا أ
ْ
«
“the Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded us to give Zakat on what we
prepared to sell”. Narrated by Ad-Daarqutni, from Abu Dhar, he said: I
heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ says:
ِبِلِ صَدَقَتُهَا، وَف ِي الْغَنَمِ صَدَقَتُهَا، وَف ِي الْيَْ ر صَدَقَتُهُ
«

“There is Zakat on camels, and there is Zakat on goats, and there is
Zakat on Bazz” . He pronounced it with the letter zai (زthere is no
dispute it is not obligatory on the specific product, but on its value.
From Abu Amr ibn Hamas, from his father, he said, Umar ordered me
and said: ‘pay the Zakat on your property’. I said: ‘I don’t have any
property except for Ji’b (quivers) and leather’. He said: ‘Estimate them,
then pay their Zakat.’” narrated by Imam Ahmad and Abu Ubaid.” End
- Al-Baihaqi narrated in As-Sunan Alkubra:
“Ahmad bin Mohammed bin Al -Harith al-Faqih told us that he foretold
Ali bin Umar Al -Hafiz, from Abu Bakr Alnisaburi, from Ahmad Bin
Mansour, from Abu Asim, from Musa bin Ubaida, Imran bin Abu Anas
told me from Malik ibn Aws bin Al Hadathan, said: Whilst I was sitting
with Osman, Abu Dhar came and mentioned the Hadeeth, he said:
They said: O Abu Dhar tell us the saying from the Messenger of Allah
ﷺhe said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
ِبِلِ صَدَقَتُهَا وَف ِي الْغَنَمِ صَدَقَتُهَا وَف ِي الْبَقَرِ صَدَقَتُهَا وَف ِي الْيَْ ر صَدَقَتُهُ
«
“There is Zakat in the camels, there is Zakat in goats, there is Zakat in
cows, and there is Zakat in al Bazz” he uttered it with the letter Zai
(زEnd
And Zakat due on trade merchandise if its value reaches the Nisab of
gold, or the Nisab of silver, and one year has passed on it.
If the merchant began his trade with money less than the Nisab, and at
the end of year the money is equal to the value of Nisab, there is no
Zakat on him, because the Nisab was not present for one year. He
must pay Zakat on this Nisab, after one whole year passes on it (Hawl).
If the trader begins his trade with property above the Nisab such that
he begins his trade with 1,000 Dinars then his trade grows and profits
by the end of the year so that its value becomes 3,000 Dinars, it is
obligatory upon him to pay Zakat on 3,000 Dinars not the 1,000 Dinars
he started with. This is because its profit follows it i.e. the origin, and

the period of one year of generated profit is the same as the period of
one year of the origin. This is like the goats’ offspring and offspring of
sheep that are counted together with them, because their period of
one year (Hawl) is that of their mothers. Similar to this is the profit on
wealth so its time (Hawl) is the period of one year of the origin from
which profits were derived. When the year finishes the trader
estimates his trading merchandise whether Zakat is obliged upon it
because of itself such as camels, cattle, and sheep, or not, such as
clothes, manufactured products, land and buildings. He estimates
them collectively in gold or silver units. He then gives quarter -tithe
(2.5%) if it reaches the Nisab value of gold or silver, giving the
obligatory Zakat in the used currency. It is allowed to give its Zakat
from the merchandise itself if that is easier for him, e.g. where he is
trading with sheep/goats, cattle or clothes and the value of the Zakat
obliged upon him is estimated in sheep, cattle or clothes, he may give
its Zakat in currency or he may give it in sheep, cattle or clothes i.e. he
may give whichever he wishes.
Zakat on trading merchandise, on whose assets Zakat is due like
camels, cattle and sheep/goats, is paid as Zakat of trading
merchandise, not as Zakat of livestock. This is because trade is
intended in their ownership, not mere possession.
By understanding this Shariah reality the answer to your question is as
follows:
A) The trading merchandise is estimated according to the market value
i.e. with its selling value at the time of Zakat because this is the real
value of these merchandise. It is not estimated by the purchasing price
because it may be more or less than the market price that represents
the true price of the commodity, and therefore the market price is the
one considered.
B) If the seller is a wholesaler, then he should estimate his goods at the
price of wholesale goods, and if he sells individual items, then he

evaluates them with the price of individual goods, and he mixes
between the wholesale and selling individual goods, then he should
take the ratio of both and stick to this. If he was selling half of goods as
wholesale and the other half individually, he should estimate half of
goods as wholesale and the other half individually and so on, because
this is the closest to the truth regarding the value of goods.
C) Goods are valued by their market price in the country it is present
in, not in the country where the merchant lives, because the market
price in the country it is in is closer to its true value.
D) All goods are estimated at the time of paying Zakat, those that are
in demand and those that are not, because the goods are in fact,
money, and the commodity that isn't in demand is estimated at its
market value at the time for Zakat, in this case, of course, it will be
worth less than its value before the recession. And this is repeated
every year because they are cash in the form of commodities and
Zakat is obliged on them as it is obliged on cash each year.
E) Zakat on trade merchandise can be in cash, and it may be the goods
itself. If what was due in Zakat is 2000, and the price per item was 500,
then 4 goods can be given in Zakat from the trade merchandise. This
could be a way to get rid of the goods that is not in demand, so that
the money for Zakat is not taken from the cash money but from the
goods, taking the interest of the one giving Zakat into consideration.
This is the view I follow in this matter, and Allah Knows Best and He is
Most Wise.)
I have restated the answer in its entirety to show how to act when
giving Zakat on honey and precious stones intended for trade, as well
as all other trading merchandise.
Your brother,
Abu Yasin

27th Rabii’ Al-Awwal 1442 AH
13/11/2020 CE