What is the linguistic meaning of the word "shat" (شاة), and does it apply to both goats and sheep, or only to goats?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Oct 24, 2026
The word "shat" (sheep/goat) in the Arabic language refers to both sheep and goats collectively, and this includes the rulings of . For every forty "shat" - whether they are sheep, goats, or a mixture of both - one "shat" is due as zakat, based on the : "For every forty sheep, there is a sheep." This is also indicated by the fact that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sacrificed a ram for and a ram for Husayn as , and that two sheep are sacrificed for a boy and one for a girl, and that he performed the aqiqah for Hasan with one sheep.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Original fatwa ID
- 60991
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