Giving the market value of an item when calculating zakaat

Q: If a person is giving zakaat in kind instead of cash, is the monetary value of the item considered, or is the store price? 

Example: Bag of potatoes is worth R50, but he bought it for R100. He has to give R200 in zakaat. Does he give 2 bags, or 4 bags (costing him R400)?

A: The market value of the item will be considered when calculating zakaat. Market value refers to the price which the general consumer (i.e. the public) generally pays to obtain the item. 

Hence, if in most places in the market, the bag of potatoes is sold at R50, then if he gives one bag of potatoes as zakaat, it will be counted as discharging R50 in zakaat.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)