Zakat, Fasting, and Hajj in Ar-Risalah

The chapters on the remaining pillars of Islam in Ar-Risalah continue Ibn Abi Zayd's clear and accessible presentation. The goal throughout is to give the Muslim reader everything they need to fulfill their religious obligations correctly, without advanced scholarly qualifications that would be appropriate only for more advanced texts.

The zakah chapter in Ar-Risalah covers the essential categories and rates in clear language. For gold and silver, the nisab and rate are stated. For livestock, the graduated scales are presented in a simplified but accurate form. For agricultural produce, the basic rule (one-tenth for rain-irrigated, one-twentieth for irrigation-dependent) is stated with the note that it applies when the harvest reaches five awsuq. For zakah al-fitr, the amount (one sa' of staple food per person) and the timing (before the Eid prayer) are clearly stated.

The Maliki school's distinctive position on extending zakah al-fitr to staple foods beyond the types mentioned in the hadith is reflected in Ar-Risalah. The text instructs students to pay zakah al-fitr in the staple food of their region, applying the principle that the obligation is to provide food for the poor at Eid — the type of food specified in the original hadith being illustrative of the category rather than exhaustively limiting it.

For fasting, Ar-Risalah covers the conditions of obligation, the pillars of the fast (intention and abstention from the specified nullifiers), the nullifiers themselves, and the concessions for travelers and the ill. The Maliki position on the kaffarah for deliberate breaking of the Ramadan fast is stated: it applies to all deliberate nullifiers (eating, drinking, intercourse, and deliberate vomiting), with the three-stage sequence of expiation. This broader Maliki application of kaffarah is presented without extended argument, trusting that the commentary tradition will provide the reasoning.

The hajj chapter covers the conditions of obligation, the miqat boundaries, the pillars of hajj, and the basic sequence of rites. Ibn Abi Zayd presents the Maliki positions on the forms of ihram (ifrad, qiran, tamattu') and the school's preference without getting into the detailed comparative analysis that more advanced texts would provide. Students are given what they need to understand their obligations and the basic structure of the rites.

Ar-Risalah's chapter structure ensures that students who complete the work have a complete introduction to all five pillars of Islam — prayer, zakah, fasting, and hajj in addition to the creed section that opens the work — providing the foundation for more advanced study.