Harithah bin Mudarrib narrates that some people from Syria came to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "We have acquired wealth in the form of horses and slaves; we would like to pay zakah (charity) on them too, so that it becomes a means of purification for us." Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "How can I do something that my two companions before me (the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)) did not do?" Then he consulted Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) among a group of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "It is a good deed, provided that it is not made into a binding jizyah that is collected from them permanently." This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain, although the two Shaykhs did not narrate from Harithah; I have recorded it here to mention the newly fixed charities that came into practice later.

Musa bin Talhah narrates: We have with us the document of Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) that was from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), in which it is mentioned that he (peace and blessings be upon him) collected zakah only from wheat, barley, raisins and dates. All the narrators of this hadith have been used as evidence, but the two Shaykhs did not record it; and Musa bin Talhah is a senior Tabi'i, whose having lived in the time of Sayyiduna Mu'adh is not disputed.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "On land watered by rain, natural moisture or floodwater, a tenth ('ushr) is due, and on land watered from wells or by labour, half a tenth (a twentieth) is due." This zakah applies only to dates, wheat and grains; as for cucumbers, melons, pomegranates and green fodder (qadb), the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has exempted them (that is, no zakah is due on them). This hadith has a sahih chain, but the two Shaykhs did not record it; and it has a supporting narration (shahid) with a sahih chain:

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash'ari and Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with them both) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent the two of them to Yemen to teach the people their religion, he said: "Take zakah only from these four things: barley, wheat, raisins and dates."

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No zakah is due on a Muslim's vineyard or crops as long as it is less than five wasq (approximately 653 kilograms)." This hadith is sahih on the condition of Muslim, but the two Shaykhs did not record it.

Abu Umamah bin Sahl bin Hunayf narrates from his father (Sayyiduna Sahl, may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade taking two kinds of dates, 'ju'rur' and 'lawn hubayq' (which are of inferior quality), in zakah. The narrator says: Some people would pick out their inferior fruit and give it in zakah, so they were forbidden these two kinds of dates, and this verse was revealed: "And do not aim at the bad of it to spend from" [Surah al-Baqarah: 267] . This hadith is sahih on the condition of Bukhari, but the two Shaykhs did not record it. Sufyan bin Husayn and Muhammad bin Abi Hafsah have also corroborated it from al-Zuhri.

Sayyiduna Sahl bin Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that charity (zakah) be given, and a man brought some bunches of poor-quality dates (shis). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Who brought this?" At that time, whatever anyone brought was attributed to the one who brought it. Then this verse was revealed: "And do not aim at the bad of it to spend from." The narrator said: And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that the dates called 'ju'rur' and 'lawn hubayq' be taken in zakah. Al-Zuhri said: These are two (inferior) kinds of the dates of charity.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sahl bin Hunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) that some people had begun to give out the inferior dates of their harvest, so Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed this verse: "And do not aim at the bad of it to spend from, while you would not take it yourselves except with closed eyes." The narrator says: So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade two kinds of dates, 'ju'rur' and 'lawn hubayq'.

Sayyiduna Sahl bin Abi Hathmah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he came to us while we were in the market and said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you make an estimate (khars) (of the fruit), take the zakah and leave a third (for the owner); and if you do not leave a third, then leave a quarter" (so that they can use it for their own needs and for hospitality). Shu'bah had a doubt about the word 'third'. Al-Hakim says: I have combined the narrations of Yahya and Abdurrahman, whereas in the hadith of Wahb bin Jarir, Shu'bah had no doubt. This hadith has a sahih chain, and it has a supporting narration whose authenticity is agreed upon, that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) also ordered the same.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sahl bin Abi Hathmah (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) sent him to estimate (khars) the dates and instructed: "When you come to a piece of land, estimate its fruit (for zakah) and leave for them (the owners) a share sufficient for what they eat."