On which specific types of measured, preserved, staple crops and fruits is Zakat obligatory?
Chapter on Zakat on Crops and Fruits
Al-Mughni
Book of Zakat
Primary text
There is a consensus among scholars, including Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn Abd al-Barr, that Zakat is obligatory on wheat (huntah), barley (sha'ir), dates (tamr), and dried grapes (zabeeb), provided they are measurable by weight, preserved when dry, reach the threshold of five 'wusq', and are grown by humans in their land. This obligation extends to grains used as staple foods (like rice, millet, corn), legumes (like beans, lentils), spices (like coriander, cumin), seeds (like flax), and seeds of herbs. It also applies to fruits like dates, raisins, dried apricots, pistachios, and hazelnuts.
Supporting text
The opinion held by Abu Hanifa suggests Zakat is due on everything intended for the cultivation and growth of the land, excluding firewood, reeds, and hay, based on the general nature of the Hadith regarding rain-watered crops. Conversely, a view attributed to Ahmad, Ibn Umar, and others limits the obligatory Zakat strictly to wheat, barley, dates, and raisins, arguing that no explicit text or consensus exists for other items, nor do they share the same status of staple food, abundance, and general utility.