What is the ruling on pastured livestock (sa'imah) regarding Zakat on livestock in the following cases: 1. If permissible grass is brought to the sheep while they are in their enclosure without going out to graze? 2. If the owner of the sheep pastures his livestock on land he owns? 3. If the owner of the sheep rents land for a small fee to pasture his livestock on it? 4. If the sheep graze for part of the day and fodder is provided for them at the end of it?
The majority of jurists stipulate pasturing (as-sawm) for the obligation of zakat on livestock (bahimat al-an'am). Pastured livestock (sa'imah) are those that graze on permissible (unowned) fodder for most of the year.
1. Pasturing on collected or purchased fodder: If fodder is collected or purchased for the livestock, it is not considered pastured (sa'imah) unless it grazes for most of the year. 2. Grazing on owned land: If sheep graze on land owned by their owner for half the year or more, the most apparent ruling is that they are not considered pastured (sa'imah). 3. Grazing for a small fee: If someone rents land for a small fee for their sheep to graze, zakat is not obligatory if the grazing period is half the year or more. 4. Grazing and feeding combined: If the animal both grazes and is fed, the ruling depends on which activity is more prevalent. If grazing is more frequent, then zakat is due on it. If it grazes all day and is fed at the end of the day for most of the year, it is considered pastured (sa'imah).
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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