What is the Zakat obligation for camels when the total exceeds 120 (Ithna 'ashar wa mi'ah)?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Zakat
Primary text
When the number of camels exceeds 120, the obligation shifts, and for every forty camels over 120, one Bint Labun (a female camel aged one or two years) is due. This means if the total reaches 121, three Bint Labun are due. This interpretation aligns with one narration from Ahmad, and is the position of Al-Awza'i, Al-Shafi'i, and Ishaq. The evidence for this is the Prophet's saying: "When it exceeds one hundred and twenty, then for every forty a Bint Labun." This is further supported by a documented decree from the Prophet to the people of Sadaqat, mentioned in a narration found with the family of Umar ibn Al-Khattab, which explicitly states that if it reaches one hundred and twenty-one, three Bint Labun are due. Furthermore, the obligation changes upon adding one unit to any defined threshold set by the Prophet.
Supporting text
A second narration from Ahmad and the view of Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar and Abu Ubaid suggest the obligation does not extend beyond 130 camels, resulting in one Hatta and two Bint Labun for 121 camels. Malik holds two narrations, arguing that the fixed obligation should not change merely due to the addition of one unit, analogous to other fixed obligations. Another view, held by Ibn Mas'ud, Al-Nakha'i, Al-Thawri, and Abu Hanifa, mandates that upon exceeding 120, the levy restarts, requiring five sheep for every subsequent five camels until 145, resulting in two Hatta and one Bint Makhad, and so on.