Q 1: I have a share in a commercial store with my partner where we sell construction materials. Each of us has a share of the capital. Praise be to Allah. On 30/12 of every year, I make an inventory of the items of the store and pay the due Zakah (obligatory charity) on my portion of the capital including the liquid money, commercial goods, and debts due to the store. However, when calculating the debts, I find, for instance, that my share of the debts is four thousand, then I pay the Zakah due on only 3 thousands and consider the fourth thousand as an unpayable debt. A: What you do yearly of making an inventory of your commercial store and the payment of the Zakah due on your portion of the capital is the duty incumbent upon you. As for the debts that other people owe to you, if the debtors are solvent and you can collect from them upon demand, then you must pay the Zakah of these debts on a yearly basis after the passing of a full Hawl (one lunar year calculated from the time a property reaches the minimum amount upon which Zakah is due). However, if the debtors are insolvent and you fear lest they will not repay the debts, you should pay the due Zakah on these debts only after receiving them and a full Hawl passes. Q 2: I rented, out of the returns of this store, a piece of land on yearly rent basis for each acre. We cultivate this piece of land. I asked some scholars and they said that if I added the profits of agriculture to the capital and profits of the store, then Zakah is only due upon the store with both of its agricultural and commercial contents. (Part No. 8; Page No. 80

A: What you do yearly of making an inventory of your commercial store and the payment of the Zakah due on your portion of the capital is the duty incumbent upon you. As for the debts that other people owe to you, if the debtors are solvent and you can collect from them upon demand, then you must pay the Zakah of these debts on a yearly basis after the passing of a full Hawl (one lunar year calculated from the time a property reaches the minimum amount upon which Zakah is due). However, if the debtors are insolvent and you fear lest they will not repay the debts, you should pay the due Zakah on these debts only after receiving them and a full Hawl passes. Q 2: I rented, out of the returns of this store, a piece of land on yearly rent basis for each acre. We cultivate this piece of land. I asked some scholars and they said that if I added the profits of agriculture to the capital and profits of the store, then Zakah is only due upon the store with both of its agricultural and commercial contents. (Part No. 8; Page No. 80) However, I did not abide by this view, because the due Zakah on agricultural production is 10%, as my land is irrigated by rain. However, it is argued that I undertake the processes of plowing the land, growing the crops, and using the agrochemicals and these costs were not existent in the past times and the past agriculture.Dear Shaykh, since the beginning of practicing agricultural activity I only deduct the rent of the land and then pay the Zakah due on the remaining production, which is 10%. It should be evident, sir, that I sell the production, as no one accepts the Zakah as wheat because there is a plenty of flour available at the market. I then pay it in cash, because the poor do not have money. For example, the cost of the rent is 2000 Dinars, the agricultural costs are 2000 Dinars, and the net profit is 2000 Dinars. I then pay the Zakah on 4000 Dinars, which is 10%. Please advise. May Allah reward you! A: Zakah is due upon the harvest of the land when the grains start to become dry and the fruits become ripe, if the harvest reaches the Nisab (the minimum amount on which Zakah is due), which is 300 Sa`s (1 Sa` = 3 kg. Approx.) according to the Sa` of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The harvest should not be added to the commodities sold in the store. The amount of Zakah is 10% when the land is irrigated by rain or rivers and the other costs that you mentioned is overlooked, because of the textual evidence of the Hadith: One-tenth is due on that which is watered naturally (by rainwater and the like). May Allah guide us to the Straight Path!May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.