Is Zakat obligatory on things extracted from the sea, such as pearls, coral, and amber?
Chapter on Zakat on Gold and Silver
Al-Mughni
Book of Zakat
Primary text
Zakat is not due on items extracted from the sea, such as pearls, coral, and amber. This is the apparent view of Al-Khiraqi and the choice of Abu Bakr. This view is supported by Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, Ata, Malik, Al-Thawri, Ibn Abi Laila, Al-Hasan ibn Salih, Al-Shafi'i, Abu Hanifa, Muhammad, Abu Thawr, and Abu Ubayd. The evidence for this position is the statement of Ibn Abbas: 'There is nothing in amber; it is only something the sea has cast out,' and a similar statement narrated from Jabir. Furthermore, these items were extracted during the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and his successors, and no Sunnah concerning Zakat was established from them or their successors from a sound chain of transmission. The default ruling is the absence of obligation, and comparison to minerals extracted from the land is invalid because amber is cast out by the sea and found lying on the land without labor, resembling permitted items gathered from the land, such as manna and ginger.
Supporting text
Another narration from Ahmad holds that Zakat is due on these items because they are extracted from a mine, analogous to minerals extracted from the land. A report is attributed to Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz that he took one-fifth (*al-khums*) of amber, which is also the view of Al-Hasan and Al-Zuhri. Al-Zuhri additionally applied this ruling to pearls extracted from the sea.