When does the zakah year begin for a flock that reaches forty?
2026-10-14
T201 · Ibn Taymiyyah
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah
شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن تيمية
Original Q&A · Complete source question and answer
Complete original question and answer, 25/49.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
وسئل رحمه الله عن رجل له غنم، ولم تبلغ النصاب: هل تجب فيها زكاة في أثناء الحول؟
الجواب
هذه المسألة فيها قولان للعلماء، هما روايتان عن أحمد:
أحدهما: أن ابتداء الحول حين صارت أربعين، كقول الشافعي.
والثاني: أن ابتداء الحول من حين ملك الأمهات، كقول مالك. والله أعلم.
English translation
English translation prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic source. It is not an official translation.
Original question
He, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about a man whose sheep had not reached the minimum threshold: does zakah become due on them during the year?
Answer
Scholars have two views on this question, both reported from Aḥmad.
The first is that the year begins when the flock becomes forty, as al-Shāfiʿī held.
The second is that the year begins when he acquired the mother sheep, as Mālik held. Allah knows best.
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 25/49
مجموع الفتاوى
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā
Arabic checked against the cited source and adjacent question boundaries. Diacritics and display marks omitted; honorific glyphs expanded. Titles and scope notes are editorial.