Zakaat on Livestock

1. The passing of one full year is a prerequisite for zakaat on all livestock.

2. Zakaat is fard on livestock. Livestock refers to the animal in which the following factors are found:

(a) It must graze freely for a major portion of the year. It must not be fed in its stable. If it spends half the year grazing freely and half the year in it's stable; it will not be regarded as livestock. Similarly, if hay or straw is brought to its stable and it feeds on that hay or straw, it will not be regarded as livestock irrespective of whether this hay or straw was purchased or not.

(b) It must be kept for its milk, for the purpose of pro-creation, or in order to fatten it. If it is not kept for any of these purposes, and instead, is kept for its meat or as a means of transportation, it will not be regarded as livestock.

3. The prerequisite for zakaat on livestock is that it must be a camel, bull, buffalo, goat, or sheep. The female of each is also included. Zakaat is not wajib on wild animals such as buck. However, if these wild animals are kept for the purpose of trade, then the zakaat of tradeable goods will be wajib on them as well. The animal that is born through copulation between a domestic animal and a wild animal will fall under the classification of its mother. That is, if the mother was a domestic animal, it will also be regarded as a domestic animal. But if the mother was a wild animal, it will also be regarded as such, e.g. if an animal is born from a buck and female goat, the animal will be classified as a goat. If an animal is born from a white antelope and a cow, the animal will be classified as a cow.

4. An animal which was from among one's livestock was sold during the course of the year with the intention of trade. Zakaat will not have to be given on that animal for that year. The year for that animal will be calculated from the time that the person intended to use it for the purpose of trade.

5. There is no zakaat on young animals which are alone. However, if one is in possession of older animals together with younger animals, zakaat will be obligatory on both young and old animals. Furthermore, the zakaat itself will be paid with the older and not the younger animals. However, if the older animals die after the expiry of one year, zakaat will be waived.

6. There is no zakaat on animals which have been made waqf for the sake of Allah.

7. Zakaat is wajib on horses which graze if both the male and the female of the species are together. One dinar per horse will have to be given. Alternatively, the value of all the horses should be calculated and one fortieth of the total be given as zakaat.

8. Zakaat is not wajib on donkeys and mules if they are not for trade.