Liaison office of Grand Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Al Sistani (L.M.H.L) in London, Europe, North and South America.
1921. Sheep has 5 taxable limits:
The 1st taxable limit is 40, and its Zakat is one sheep. And as long as
the number of sheep does not reach 40, no Zakat is payable on them.
The 2nd taxable limit is 121, and its Zakat is 2 sheep
The 3rd taxable limit is 201, and its Zakat is 3 Sheep
The 4th taxable limit is 301, and its Zakat is 4 Sheep
The 5th taxable limit is 400 and above, and in this case calculation
should be made in hundreds, and one sheep should be given as Zakat for each
group of 100 sheep. And it is not necessary that Zakat should be given from
the same sheep. It will be sufficient if some other sheep are given, or
money equal to the price of the sheep is given as Zakat.
1922. It is not obligatory to pay Zakat for the number of sheep
between the two taxable limits. So, if the number of sheep exceeds the first
taxable limit (which is 40), but does not each the 2nd taxable limit (which is
121), the owner should pay Zakat on 40 sheep only, and no Zakat is due on the
sheep exceeding that number, and the same rule applies to the succeeding taxable
limits.
1923. When the number of camels, cows and sheep reaches the taxable
limit, payment of Zakat an them becomes obligatory whether all of them are males
or all are females, or some of them are males and some are females.
1924. In the matter of Zakat, cows and buffaloes are treated to be of
the same class, and Arabian and non-Arabian camels are also of the same group.
Similarly, for the purpose of Zakat, there is no difference between a goat, a
sheep and a one-year old lamb.
1925. If a person gives a sheep as Zakat, it is necessary, as an
obligatory precaution, that it should have at least entered the 2nd year of its
life, and if he gives a goat it should have, on the basis of precaution, entered
the 3rd year of its life.
1926. If a person gives a sheep as Zakat, there is no harm if its
value is slightly less as compared with his other sheep. However, it is better
that he should give as Zakat the sheep whose value is more than his other sheep,
and the same rule applies for cows and camels.
1927. If some persons are partners, then the person whose share
reaches the first taxable limit should pay Zakat. It is not obligatory on the
person whose share does not reach the first taxable limit to pay Zakat.
1928. If a person has cows or camels, or sheep at various places, and
combined together they reach the taxable limit, he should pay Zakat on them.
1929. Even if the cows, sheep and camels possessed by a person are
unhealthy and defective, he should pay Zakat on them.
1930. If all cows and sheep and camels possessed by a person are
unhealthy and defective, he can play Zakat from amongst them. However, if all of
them are healthy and young and with no defect, he cannot pay the Zakat liable on
them from unhealthy, defective and old ones.
In fact, if some of them are
healthy and others are unhealthy, and some are defective and others are without
any defect, and some are old and others are young, the obligatory precaution is
that he should give as Zakat those animals which are healthy, have no defect and
are young.
1931. If before the expiry of the 11th month, a person changes his
cows, sheep and camels with something else, or changes his taxable limit with an
equivalent number of the same kind of animals - for example, if he gives 40
sheep and takes new 40 sheep - it is not obligatory on him to pay Zakat, if this
was not done to avoid Zakat.
But if it was done to avoid Zakat, then as an
obligatory precaution, Zakat must be paid if their benefits are common, like, if
he exchanges milk-giving sheep for milk-giving sheep.
1932. If a person who is required to pay Zakat on cows, sheep and
camels, gives that Zakat from his other property, he should pay Zakat on the
animals every year as long as their number has not become less than the taxable
limit. But if he gives Zakat from those very animals and they become less than
the first taxable limit, payment of Zakat is not obligatory on him.
For
example, if a person who owns 40 sheep, gives their Zakat out of his other
property, he should pay one sheep every year as long as their number does not
become less than 40, and if he pays Zakat from those very sheep, payment of
Zakat will not be obligatory on him till such time when their number reaches 40.