Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) said, "No Zakat is due on property mounting to less than five Uqiyas (of silver), and no Zakat is due on less than five camels, and there is no Zakat on less than five Wasqs." (A Wasqs equals 60 Sa's) & (1 Sa=3 K gms App.)
Obligatory Charity Tax (Zakat)
Sahih al-Bukhari 1405
Hadith Text
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) said, "No Zakat is due on property mounting to less than five Uqiyas (of silver), and no Zakat is due on less than five camels, and there is no Zakat on less than five Wasqs." (A Wasqs equals 60 Sa's) & (1 Sa=3 K gms App.)
Commentary on Nisab Thresholds
This noble hadith establishes the minimum thresholds (nisab) for three categories of zakatable wealth: silver, camels, and agricultural produce. The wisdom behind these specific amounts reflects divine mercy, ensuring zakat obligations only fall upon those possessing substantial wealth, while exempting those with modest means.
Five Uqiyas of silver equals approximately 595 grams of pure silver. This establishes the nisab for monetary wealth and trade goods valued in silver standard. Five camels represent the minimum for livestock zakat. Five Wasqs of dates, raisins, or staple crops (approximately 900 kg) sets the agricultural nisab.
Legal Rulings and Applications
When wealth remains below these thresholds for a full lunar year (hawl), no zakat is due. Once the nisab is reached and maintained, zakat becomes obligatory at 2.5% for monetary wealth, specific rates for camels according to their number, and 5% or 10% for agricultural produce depending on irrigation method.
The Prophet's specification of these amounts demonstrates that zakat operates on precise divine measurements, not arbitrary human calculations. Scholars have established equivalent values for gold (approximately 85 grams) and modern currencies based on silver or gold standards to maintain the spirit of these divinely prescribed thresholds.