May trade goods be estimated by conjecture when calculating zakah?
2026-10-13
F147 · Selected fatwas
Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn
الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين
Original Q&A · Full displayed answer
Kharṣ refers to the particular conjectural crop-assessment method discussed by the scholar. His answer still requires reasonable investigation when exact enumeration is difficult and gives a precautionary valuation example; it does not dispense with valuation or require an arbitrary inflated figure.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
فضيلة الشيخ، هل يجوز خرص التجارة أو عروض التجارة إذا تعذر إحصاؤها أو شق على التاجر؟
الجواب
لا يجوز خرصها؛ لأن الخرص إنما ورد في الثمار، وألحق به بعض العلماء الزروع، وأما الأموال فلا يمكن خرصها؛ لأنها أنواع متعددة، لكن على الإنسان أن يتحرى ما استطاع، وأن يحتاط لنفسه، فإذا قدر أن هذه البضاعة تبلغ قيمتها مئة ويحتمل أن تكون مئة وعشرين، فليخرج عن مئة وعشرين؛ إبراء لذمته.
English translation
English rendering prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic answer. Not an official translation.
Original question
Esteemed Shaykh, may trade or trade goods be assessed by conjectural estimation if counting them is impossible or difficult for the trader?
Answer
It is not permissible to assess them by such conjectural estimation, because this method was only reported for fruits, and some scholars extended it to crops. As for other assets, they cannot be assessed in this way, because they comprise many different types. Nevertheless, a person must investigate as far as he can and take care to discharge his obligation. If he estimates that these goods are worth one hundred but they might be worth one hundred and twenty, he should pay zakah on one hundred and twenty to discharge his obligation.
Source and editorial notes
Fiqh al-ʿIbādāt, 13th edition, 1441 AH, question 120, p.204
فقه العبادات
Fiqh al-ʿIbādāt
Arabic transcribed and compared against the cited scan and adjacent context.