Chapter on Zakat of Camels

Sa’ad ibn Abdullah from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Najran from Asim ibn Humayd, and al-Husayn ibn Said from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from Asim ibn Humayd from Abu Basir from Abu Abdillah: I (narrator) asked Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq عليه السلام about ‘zakat.’ Imam عليه السلام said: “There is nothing due on fewer than five camels. When they reach five camels, one sheep is due on them, up to ten camels. When they reach ten camels, two sheep are due on them, up to fifteen camels. When they reach fifteen camels, three sheep are due on them, up to twenty camels. When they reach twenty, four sheep are due on them, up to twenty-five camels. When they reach twenty-five camels, five sheep are due on them. Then, if they increase by one, a she-camel in its second year (ibnat makhad) is due on them, up to thirty-five camels. If there is no she-camel in its second year, then a male camel in its third year (ibn labun) is due. Then, if they increase by one beyond thirty-five, a female camel in its third year (bint labun) is due on them, up to forty-five camels. Then, if they increase by one beyond forty-five, a she-camel in its fourth year (hiqqah) is due on them, up to sixty camels. Then, if they increase by one beyond sixty, a she-camel in its fifth year (jadhah) is due on them, up to seventy-five camels. Then, if they increase by one beyond seventy-five, two female camels in their third year (binta labun) are due on them, up to ninety camels. Then, if they increase by one beyond ninety, two she-camels in their fourth year (hiqqatan) are due on them, up to one hundred and twenty camels. Then, when the camels become numerous, then for every fifty camels, one she-camel in its fourth year (hiqqah) is due. An old animal is not to be taken for zakat, nor an animal with a defect, unless the collector of charity wishes to count both its young and its old.”

And from him, from Abu Jafar, from al-Husayn ibn Said, from Muhammad ibn Abi Umayr, from Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: “In five young she-camels (qilas), one sheep is due, and there is nothing due on fewer than five. In ten, two sheep are due; in fifteen, three; in twenty, four; and in twenty-five, five. In twenty-six, a she-camel in its second year (ibnat makhad) is due, up to thirty-five. Then, if they increase by one, a female camel in its third year (ibnat labun) is due, up to forty-five. Then, if they increase by one, a she-camel in its fourth year (hiqqah) is due, up to sixty. Then, if they increase by one, a she-camel in its fifth year (jadhah) is due, up to seventy-five. Then, if they increase by one, two female camels in their third year (ibnata labun) are due, up to ninety. Then, if they increase by one, two she-camels in their fourth year (hiqqatan) are due, up to one hundred and twenty. Then, when the camels become numerous, for every fifty there is a she-camel in its fourth year (hiqqah).”

Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Faddal from Muhammad and Ahmad, the two sons of al-Hasan, from their father, from al-Qasim ibn Urwah, from Abdullah ibn Bukayr, from Zurarah, from Abu Ja’far عليه السلام and Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon them both, said: Imam عليه السلام said: “There is nothing due on camels until they reach five. When they reach five, one sheep is due on them. Then, for every five camels, one sheep is due, until they reach twenty-five. Then, if they increase by one, a she-camel in its second year (ibnat makhad) is due on them. If there is no she-camel in its second year (ibnat makhad) among them, then a male camel in its third year (ibn labun) is due, up to thirty-five. Then, if they increase beyond thirty-five, a female camel in its third year (ibnat labun) is due, up to forty-five. Then, if they increase, a she-camel in its fourth year (hiqqah) is due, up to sixty. Then, if they increase, a she-camel in its fifth year (jadhah) is due, up to seventy-five. Then, if they increase, two female camels in their third year (binta labun) are due, up to ninety. Then, if they increase, two she-camels in their fourth year (hiqqatan) are due, up to one hundred and twenty. Then, if they increase beyond that, then for every fifty camels, one she-camel in its fourth year (hiqqah) is due, and for every forty camels, one female camel in its third year (ibnat labun) is due. There is no zakat on any animals other than these categories which we have named. And whatever belongs to these categories but is kept domestically (al-dawajin) or used as working animals (al-awamil), there is nothing due on them. And as for these three categories, camels, cattle, and sheep, nothing is due on them until a full year has passed over them from the day they were born.”

As for the report which Muhammad ibn Yaqub narrated from Ali ibn Ibrahim from his father from Hammad ibn Isa from Hariz from Zurarah and Muhammad ibn Muslim and Abu Basir and Burayd al-Ijli and al-Fudayl from Abu Ja’far عليه السلام and Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon them both, said: Imam عليه السلام said: “Regarding the charity of camels, for every five camels, one sheep is due, until they reach twenty-five. Then, when they reach that number, a she-camel in its second year (ibnat makhad) is due on them, and nothing further is due on them until they reach thirty-five. Then, when they reach thirty-five, a female camel in its third year (ibnat labun) is due on them, and nothing further is due until they reach forty-five. Then, when they reach forty-five, a she-camel in its fourth year, ready for the male to mate with (hiqqah taruqat al-fahl), is due on them, and nothing further is due until they reach sixty. Then, when they reach sixty, a she-camel in its fifth year (jadhah) is due on them, and nothing further is due until they reach seventy-five. Then, when they reach seventy-five, two female camels in their third year (ibnata labun) are due on them, and nothing further is due until they reach ninety. Then, when they reach ninety, two she-camels in their fourth year, ready for the male to mate with (hiqqatan taruqata al-fahl), are due on them, and nothing further is due until they reach one hundred and twenty. Then, when they reach one hundred and twenty, two she-camels in their fourth year, ready for the male to mate with (hiqqatan taruqata al-fahl), are due on them. Then, when they increase by one beyond one hundred and twenty, then for every fifty camels, one she-camel in its fourth year (hiqqah) is due, and for every forty camels, one female camel in its third year (bint labun) is due. Then the camels return according to their ages. Nothing is due on the excess amount (al-nayyif), nothing is due on fractions, and nothing is due on working animals (al-awamil). This is only due on grazing, pasturing animals.” He (narrator) said: “I asked, ‘Then what is due on grazing Bactrian camels (al-bukht al-saimah)?’” The Imam عليه السلام said: “The same as what is due on Arabian camels.”

Muhammad ibn Yaqub from Ali ibn Ibrahim from his father, and Muhammad ibn Ismail from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan, all together from Ibn Abi Umayr from Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: “In five young she-camels (qala’is), one sheep is due, and there is nothing due on fewer than five. In ten, two sheep are due; in fifteen, three sheep; in twenty, four sheep; in twenty-five, five sheep; and in twenty-six, a female camel in its second year (bint makhad) is due, up to thirty-five.” Abd al-Rahman said: “This is a difference between us and the people.”