Chapter on Zakat of Wheat, Barley, Dates, and Raisins

As for these two reports, their basis is Sama’ah, and his narration differs. In the latter narration, Sama’ah said: “I asked him,” but Sama’ah did not mention who was asked. This leaves open the possibility that the one asked was someone whose statement is not binding. He also added in that narration a distinction between the zakat of wheat, barley, dates, and raisins, whereas we have already presented hadiths indicating that there is no difference between these things. As for the first narration, Sama’ah said in it: “I asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام,” and then mentioned the hadith. This inconsistency (idtirab) within the hadith is among the things that weaken its use as proof. Even if the report were free from all of that, it would still be carried upon recommendation, due to the reports we have already presented, and because it is not permissible for the reports to contradict one another. It is also possible that by the saying of the Imam عليه السلام: “In every five wasqs (awsaq) there is one wasq,” the Imam عليه السلام intended khums, even though he applied the name ‘zakat’ to it. This is because zakat, in its original meaning, refers to growth. It was only called zakat in the Shariah because of what it leads to in the end, namely deserving reward. This meaning is also present in khums, so it is not impossible for the name zakat to be applied to it. Do you not see that we apply the name zakat to voluntary charity (nafilah) and other acts because of what they lead to of deserving reward? Khums must also be taken out after zakat has been taken out. And what indicates this is what he narrated (in the following hadith):

And what further clarifies what we have already presented, that nothing more than one-tenth (10%) and half of one-tenth (5%) is obligatory in these things, is what he narrated (in the following hadith):

And what indicates that there is no difference between wheat, barley, dates, and raisins, in addition to what we have already presented, is what he narrated (in the following hadith):

The Imam عليه السلام saying, peace be upon him, at the end of the report: “Zakat is given on what comes out of it, whether little or much; from every ten, one, and from every ten, half of one,” what is intended by it is what exceeds five wasqs (awsaq), because whatever is less than that, zakat is not obligatory on it, and we will indicate that later. As for the report which he narrated (in the following hadith):

All of these reports are carried upon the meaning that what is intended by them is recommendation and encouragement (istihbab wa nadb), not obligation and making something obligatory. No one may say that it is not possible to carry them upon recommendation because they contain wording of obligation. For although they do contain wording of obligation, what is intended by it is the emphasis of recommendation, since recommendation may sometimes be expressed using the wording of obligation. We have already clarified this in more than one place in this book. What indicates that what was intended by these reports was not obligation and making something obligatory, the abandonment of which would deserve punishment, is what he narrated (in the following hadith):