Praise be to Allah
Firstly:
Zakaah must be paid on grains and fruits
according to scholarly consensus.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him)
said in al-Mughni (2/294):
The scholars are unanimously agreed that
zakaah is obligatory on wheat, barley, dates, and grapes. This was stated by
Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr. End quote.
The fact that zakaah must be paid on
grains and fruits is indicated by the words of Allah, may He be exalted
(interpretation of the meaning): “but
pay the due thereof (its Zakat, according to Allah’s Orders 1/10th or
1/20th) on the day of its harvest”
[al-An ‘aam 6:141].
Zakaah must be paid on grains and fruits
that can be measured and stored, whether they are foods or otherwise,
because of the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (1483) from ‘Abdullah ibn
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) who said: “With regard to that which is irrigated by
rainfall and springs, or has a taproot, (the zakaah) is one tenth, and with
regard to that which is irrigated by drawing water, (the zakaah) is half of
one tenth.” This hadith is general in meaning and applies to everything that
is produced by the earth, whether it is food or not.
Muslim (979) narrated from Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri
(may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: “There is no zakaah due on grains or dates unless
they reach five wasqs.” This indicates that what matters is the volume,
which is a kind of measurement. As for storing, that is because the blessing
is only completed by that which could be stored, because the benefit ther of
lasts for a longer time.
Al-Bahooti said in Kashshaaf al-Qinaa‘
(2/205): Zakaah must be paid on every kind of fruit that may be measured or
stored, such as dates, raisins, almonds, pistachios and hazelnuts. End
quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have
mercy on him) said in ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘ (6/70):
Zakaah must be paid on grains and fruits,
on condition that they can be measured and stored. If that is not the case,
then no zakaah is due on them. End quote.
Secondly:
It is not obligatory to give zakaah on
grains and fruits unless they reach the minimum threshold (nisaab), which is
five wasqs. A wasq is sixty saa‘, and a saa‘ is four mudds, and the mudd is
what may be held in the cupped hands of man of average build. Muslim (979)
narrated from Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There
is no zakaah due on grains or dates unless they reach five wasqs.”
The rate of zakaah to be given on crops
and fruit varies according to the method of irrigation. If it is irrigated
without any expenses, such as if it is irrigated by rainwater or springs,
then the rate is one tenth. If it is irrigated with expenses, such as if it
requires mechanical means of lifting up the water, then the rate is one half
of one tenth.
The evidence for that is the hadith of Ibn
‘Umar quoted above: “With regard to that which is irrigated by rainfall and
springs, or has a taproot, (the zakaah) is one tenth, and with regard to
that which is irrigated by drawing water, (the zakaah) is half of one
tenth.”
Al-Haafiz said:
“has a taproot” – al-Khattaabi said: This
refers to plants that take up water through their roots and veins, without
being irrigated
“drawing water” – this refers to using
camels to carry water. The camel is mentioned by way of example, otherwise
oxen and other animals come under the same ruling. This is equivalent to
irrigation by digging irrigation channels nowadays.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have
mercy on him) said in ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘ (6/77):
The wisdom behind that is because there
are many costs involved in that which is irrigated artificially, and few
costs involved in that which is irrigated without artificial means, so the
Lawgiver paid attention to these costs and reduced the rate of zakaah on
that which is irrigated with extra costs. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on
him) said (14/74): With regard to that which is irrigated by means of
rainfall, rivers and springs, such as grains and fruits such as dates,
grapes, wheat, and barley, the rate of zakaah is one tenth. As for that
which is irrigated by machines and other artificial means, the rate is one
half of one tenth. End quote.
And Allah knows best.