Is zakat obligatory on fodder-fed sheep that incur monthly expenses, or is it only obligatory on pasturing sheep that graze on wild grasses and plants without feed costs?
The majority of scholars hold the view that zakat is not obligatory on livestock (camels, cattle, and sheep) unless they are pasturing (sāʾimah). They base this on the Hadith of Abu Bakr concerning pasturing sheep, and the Hadith of Bahz ibn Hakim concerning pasturing camels, and they interpret the general (muṭlaq) narrations by restricting them with the specific (muqayyad) ones. They believe that growth is evident in pasturing animals, unlike those that are fed (maʿlūfah), whose feed cost might consume their growth. Malik, however, holds that zakat is obligatory on them unconditionally, basing his argument on the general mention of camels in some narrations.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/13639