Barley (shi'ir): zakat, zakat al-fitr, sale of standing crops and its place among the ribawi goods

Barley is a known grain, the seed of a grass-like plant, valued less than wheat as food. ¹

Barley is among the crops on which zakat is due once they reach the threshold, by consensus. The basis is the verse of the surah of the Cow (267) on spending from the good things one earns and from what God brings forth from the earth, and a report that zakat on crops is taken only from four kinds, barley, wheat, raisins and dates. Another report sets a tenth for what the sky or springs water and half a tenth for what is watered by the wheel. ¹

• The Shafi'is do not join barley to other grains, such as wheat and spelt, since they are three different kinds.
• The Hanbalis join barley to spelt, since they are two kinds of one genus, and do not join them to wheat.
• The Malikis hold that barley, spelt and wheat are kinds of one genus, joined to one another to complete the threshold. ²
• The Hanafis do not require a threshold for produce, so zakat is due on small and large amounts alike, and the question does not arise for them. ²

The jurists agree that barley may be used for zakat al-fitr, and that a measure (sa') of it suffices. Ibn 'Umar reports that the Prophet ﷺ made zakat al-fitr a measure of dates or of barley for free and slave, male and female, young and old among the Muslims, to be paid before people go out to the prayer. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reports that they gave a measure of food, or of dates, barley or raisins. ²

The general sale of land does not include what is growing in it, such as barley, wheat and other crops, or anything that is taken up by pulling or cutting all at once, because it is not meant to last, and so it is like movable goods in a house. ²

The jurists agree that barley is among the goods subject to the rules of usury. One barley may not be sold for barley except in equal measure, hand to hand. When it is exchanged for another kind, such as dates, the amounts may differ, but the exchange must be on the spot and hand to hand before the parties separate. A report of Ubada ibn al-Samit (may God be pleased with him) lists gold, silver, wheat, barley, dates and salt as goods that must be exchanged in equal measure and hand to hand when of the same kind, and allows free exchange when the kinds differ, provided it is hand to hand. ^{2 3}