Who bears a village levy demanded as sheep zakah?
2026-10-14
T202 · 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, 25/50. The answer distinguishes the actual zakah obligation from how an unjust additional levy is borne; it does not authorize the injustice.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
وسئل عن قرية بها فلاحون، وهي نصفان: أحد فلاحي النصف له غنم تجب فيها الزكاة، والنصف الآخر ليس لفلاحيه غنما قدر ما تجب فيه الزكاة، فألزم الإمام أهل القرية بزكاة الغنم على الفلاحين، فهل تجب على من له النصاب؟ وإذا وجبت عليه، فهل يجوز للإمام أن يأخذ ممن ليس له نصاب؟
الجواب
إن كان المطلوب هو مقدار ما فرضه الله على من تجب عليه الزكاة اختصوا بأدائه، وإن كان المطلوب فوق الواجب على سبيل الظلم اشترك فيه الجميع، بحسب أموالهم. والله أعلم.
English translation
English translation prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic source. It is not an official translation.
Original question
He was asked about a village of farmers divided into two halves. A farmer in one half owns sheep on which zakah is due, while the farmers in the other half do not own enough sheep for zakah to be due. The ruler required the farmers of the village to pay sheep zakah. Is it due from those who possess the minimum threshold? If it is due from them, may the ruler take it from those who do not possess that threshold?
Answer
If what is demanded is the amount Allah has prescribed from those liable to zakah, they alone must pay it. If what is demanded exceeds the obligation as an act of injustice, they all share in bearing it in proportion to their wealth. Allah knows best.
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 25/50
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.