In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger ﷺ.
The obligations in summary, and the standing of the Sunnah in relation to the Qur’an:
In this section Imam al-Shafi’i deals with the obligations that Allah the Exalted laid down in summary form in His Book, namely prayer, zakah, and Hajj, and explains the standing of the Prophetic Sunnah in detailing and clarifying these obligations.
The main points Imam al-Shafi’i addressed in this section:
- Obligations laid down in the Qur’an and clarified in the Sunnah: Imam al-Shafi’i affirms that Allah the Exalted laid down the obligations in His Book, such as prayer, zakah, and Hajj, and then clarified the manner of performing them and their details on the tongue of His Prophet ﷺ in the Prophetic Sunnah.
- Zakah on wealth (the generality of the Qur’an and its specification by the Sunnah): Imam al-Shafi’i explains that the outward sense of the Qur’an in the saying of Allah the Exalted, “Take, [O Muhammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase” (al-Tawbah 9:103), is general to all kinds of wealth, but the Sunnah specified this generality and made clear that zakah is due on certain kinds of wealth and not others.
- The kinds of wealth on which zakah is due (as defined by the Sunnah): Imam al-Shafi’i clarifies that the Sunnah defined the kinds of wealth on which zakah is due as follows:
- Livestock: camels, cattle, and sheep and goats only, not other animals such as horses, donkeys, and mules.
- Crops and fruits: date palms and grapes only, with what resembles them, such as olives, being included by analogy according to some scholars, but not other fruit trees such as walnuts, almonds, and figs. He explains that zakah is taken from these at harvest, and is assessed at one tenth if watered by rain or springs, and one twentieth if watered by bucket or machine. He explains that zakah is due on wheat, barley, maize, millet, sult (a kind of barley), rice, and everything that is a storable staple food, and that pulses resembling them, such as chickpeas, lentils, and broad beans, are included by analogy. He explains that vegetables and fruits other than grapes and dates are not subject to zakah.
- The two monetary metals: gold and silver. He explains that silver is the original standard for calculating the minimum threshold (nisab), and that gold is measured against it by analogy. He explains that modern paper currency is treated by analogy like gold and silver in the obligation of zakah. He explains that other metals, such as copper, iron, and lead, are not subject to zakah unless they reach the threshold and are held for trade. He explains that precious stones, such as rubies and chrysolite, are not subject to zakah.
- The zakah on buried treasure (rikaz): Imam al-Shafi’i explains that the due on rikaz is one fifth, payable once when it is found, citing the hadith: “And on rikaz is one fifth.” He explains that rikaz is treasure buried in the pre-Islamic era.
- The Sunnah specifies the generality of the Qur’an: Imam al-Shafi’i affirms that the Sunnah specifies the generality of the Qur’an and qualifies its unrestricted statements, that this is part of the Sunnah’s standing in relation to the Book, and that following the Sunnah’s clarification is obligatory in order to understand the obligations that Allah firmly established in the Qur’an.
- Analogy in zakah: Imam al-Shafi’i explains that analogy is permissible in matters of zakah for what resembles the kinds mentioned in the Sunnah, and that this is the position of the four imams. He refutes those who restricted zakah to the four kinds mentioned in the hadith of Mu’adh and Abu Musa al-Ash’ari, may Allah be pleased with them both, explaining that this hadith concerns a particular situation and does not indicate restriction.
- Zakah on trade goods: Imam al-Shafi’i points out that the zakah on trade goods is calculated on their value.
Additional clarifications:
- The importance of the Sunnah in legislation: Imam al-Shafi’i explains the importance of the Prophetic Sunnah in Islamic legislation: it is the second source after the Noble Qur’an, and it clarifies, details, qualifies, and specifies the Qur’an.
- The difference between the general, the unrestricted, the restricted, and the specifying: The general (‘amm) is a word that includes all its members without exception. The unrestricted (mutlaq) is a word that indicates the essence of a thing without restriction. The restricted (muqayyad) is a word that indicates the essence of a thing with a restriction. The specifying (mukhassis) is that which excludes some members of the general from its ruling.
Summary:
In this section Imam al-Shafi’i explains the obligations that Allah the Exalted laid down in summary form in His Book, and clarifies the standing of the Prophetic Sunnah in detailing and clarifying them. He affirms the obligation of following the Sunnah, and that it specifies the generality of the Qur’an and qualifies its unrestricted statements, which is part of the Sunnah’s standing in relation to the Book. He also explains the importance of analogy in matters of zakah.
All parts of Summary of the Explanation of al-Shafi'i's al-Risala by Dr. Yasir Burhami