Hadith 2254

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote to him this letter when he sent him to Bahrain: “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This is the obligation of charity that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) enjoined upon the Muslims and that Allah commanded His Messenger. Whoever among the Muslims is asked for it in the proper manner should give it, and whoever is asked for more than that should not give it. ¹ For every twenty-four camels or fewer, the charity is sheep: one sheep for every five camels. When they reach twenty-five to thirty-five, the charity is a one-year-old female camel. When they reach thirty-six to forty-five, the charity is a two-year-old female camel. When they reach forty-six to sixty, the charity is a three-year-old female camel that has been mated. When they reach sixty-one to seventy-five, the charity is a four-year-old female camel. When they reach seventy-six to ninety, the charity is two two-year-old female camels. When they reach ninety-one to one hundred and twenty, the charity is two three-year-old female camels that have been mated.” [Narrated by Bukhari] Abu Dawud narrated in Al-Marasil, ² Al-Tahawi in Mushkil Al-Athar, and Ishaq ibn Rahwayh in Musnad from Amr ibn Haram that the Prophet (ﷺ) wrote this to his grandfather, and he read it. It mentioned the obligations of charity for camels, and the narration continued until it reached one hundred and twenty. If the number exceeded one hundred and twenty, the obligation would restart from the beginning. For fewer than twenty-five camels, the charity is sheep: one sheep for every five camels. [Narrated by Nasa’i in Al-Diyat] In a narration by Ibn Abi Shaybah from Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: “If the camels exceed one hundred and twenty, the obligation restarts.” In another narration from Ibrahim, the same is mentioned.