Is it permissible to fulfill the obligation of Zakat by taking shares from different types of required animals if the total value can be covered without splitting individual animals?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Zakat
Primary text
If fulfilling the Zakat obligation requires extracting shares from two different required animal types, and this extraction does not necessitate splitting a single animal, such as paying four Hiquq and five Bint Labun from 400 camels, it is permissible. This ruling is derived because no fragmentation of an animal unit is required.
Supporting text
It is not permissible if the extraction requires splitting a single animal, such as in the case of Zakat on two hundred camels, because the legal framework did not intend for such splitting in the Zakat of grazing animals except out of necessity. Evidence for this is provided by the establishment of exemptions (awqas) to avoid splitting the obligatory payment. Furthermore, the legal standard chose to mandate sheep instead of camels when reaching twenty-five camels, demonstrating an avoidance of requiring split obligations where a complete alternative duty exists.