Zakat on Livestock Guide | Zakat Platform

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Zakat on Livestock — Guide

Approved Sharia rulings on Zakat for camels, cattle, and sheep

Sharia Basis & Conditions for Obligation

The obligation of Zakat on livestock is established by the Quran, the Sunnah, and scholarly consensus. The consensus has been reported by numerous scholars, among them Ibn al-Mundhir. This is also confirmed by the hadith of the Sadaqah letter which the Prophet ﷺ wrote and sent to his governors, detailing the Nisab amounts for Zakat on camels, cattle, and sheep.

Conditions for Zakat on Livestock to be Obligatory:

Islam

Freedom

Full Ownership

Reaching Nisab

Completion of One Lunar Year

Being Free-Grazing (Sa'imah)

Sa'imah: Livestock that depend on free grazing for most of the year for their sustenance. If they are stall-fed all year, no livestock Zakat applies; instead, they are zakated as trade goods if held for trading purposes.

First: Zakat on Camels 🐪

Minimum Nisab: 5 camels

Number of Camels	Due	Notes
5 – 9	1 sheep	(ram or ewe)
10 – 14	2 sheep
15 – 19	3 sheep
20 – 24	4 sheep
25 – 35	Bint Makhad	Female camel that has completed 1 year and entered the 2nd
36 – 45	Bint Labun	Female camel that has completed 2 years and entered the 3rd
46 – 60	Hiqqah	Female camel that has completed 3 years
61 – 75	Jadha'ah	Female camel that has completed 4 years
76 – 90	2 Bint Labun
91 – 120	2 Hiqqah
Over 120	Per 40: 1 Bint Labun Per 50: 1 Hiqqah	Calculation rule

Calculation Formula (over 120):

Number of camels ÷ 40 = number of Bint Labun due
Number of camels ÷ 50 = number of Hiqqah due

The division that causes least burden and yields the closest whole number (with no remainder of ten) is chosen.

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Calculate Your Camel Zakat

Number of camels you own

Second: Zakat on Cattle 🐂

Minimum Nisab: 30 cattle

Number of Cattle	Due	Notes
30 – 39	Tabi' or Tabi'ah	Calf that has completed 1 year
40 – 59	Musinnah	Cow that has completed 2 years
60	2 Tabi'	Two calves (over 1 year each)
70	1 Tabi' + 1 Musinnah	1 calf + 1 cow (over 2 years)
80	2 Musinnah	Two cows that have completed 2 years
90	3 Tabi'	Three calves each over 1 year
100	2 Tabi' + 1 Musinnah	Two calves + one cow

Calculation Rule:

Every 30 cattle = 1 Tabi' (calf over 1 year)
Every 40 cattle = 1 Musinnah (cow over 2 years)

The division that causes least burden and yields the closest whole number is chosen.

🧮

Calculate Your Cattle Zakat

Number of cattle you own

Third: Zakat on Sheep & Goats 🐑

Minimum Nisab: 40 head

Number of Sheep/Goats	Due
40 – 120	1 sheep
121 – 200	2 sheep
201 – 300	3 sheep
Over 300	1 sheep per every 100 head

Calculation Rule (over 300):

Number of sheep ÷ 100 = number of sheep due

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Calculate Your Sheep/Goat Zakat

Number of sheep/goats you own

Important Jurisprudential Issues

1. No Zakat on Working Animals

Camels or cattle used for plowing or irrigation are not subject to Zakat.

2. Joint Ownership (Khultah)

If two people share a herd: the majority of scholars treat the herd as a single unit under certain conditions (partnership of characteristics), while the Hanafis have each person calculate their own share independently.

Types of Use & Zakat Rulings

1. For Grazing, Milk & Offspring (Not for Sale)

If all conditions are met (Nisab, hawl, Sa'imah), standard livestock Zakat applies per the tables above.

2. Held for Sale (Trade)

Not treated as livestock Zakat but as trade goods: valued at market price at the end of the lunar year, with 2.5% due on total value.

3. Fattened for Personal Consumption

No Zakat (not Sa'imah for breeding, and not trade goods).

4. Mixed Use

Example: A person owns 100 sheep:

70 for grazing & milk

← Livestock Zakat per the table

30 held for sale

← Trade Zakat: 2.5% of value

⚠️ The two calculations must not be mixed

Practical Summary — Usage Types & Rulings

Usage Type	Zakat Type	Calculation Method
Grazing + milk + offspring	Livestock Zakat	Per Nisab table
Stall-fed only	No Zakat	—
Held for sale	Trade Goods	2.5% of market value
Fattened for sale	Trade Goods	2.5% of market value
Fattened for personal consumption	No Zakat	—
Working animals (plowing/transport)	No Zakat	—

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