Evidence from the Sunnah for the rate of zakaah being 2.5%

The saheeh Sunnah states
that the zakaah on gold and silver is one quarter of one tenth, i.e.,
2.5%. A similar rate applies to trade goods and currency nowadays.

Al-Bukhaari (1454) narrated
from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that Abu Bakr (may Allah be
pleased with him) wrote to him this document when he sent him to Bahrain:
“This is the obligatory charity that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined upon the Muslims and that Allah
enjoined upon His Messenger:… for silver, one quarter of one tenth.” 

Abu Dawood (1572) narrated
from ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: “If you have two hundred dirhams and one
full year has passed, then five dirhams are due on them. You do not have to
pay anything – i.e. on gold — unless you have twenty dinars; if you have
twenty dinars and one full year has passed, then half a dinar is due on
them, and if the number increases then work it out on this basis.”

Classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. 

Ibn Maajah (1791) narrated
from Ibn ‘Umar and ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to take from every
twenty dinars or more, half a dinar, and from forty dinars, one dinar.

Classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah. 

Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated in
al-Musannad (9966) with a jayyid isnaad from ‘Ali (may Allah be
pleased with him) that he said: Nothing is due on anything less than twenty
dinars; for twenty dinars, half a dinar is due; for forty dinars, one dinar
is due. For anything more than that, it is to be worked out.

Irwa’ al-Ghaleel,
3/291 

These hadeeths indicate
that the zakaah on gold and silver is 2.5%, and there is scholarly consensus
on this point. 

It says in al-Mawsoo‘ah
al-Fiqhiyyah (21/29-30): 

The fuqaha’ are unanimously
agreed that the threshold for gold at which zakaah becomes due is twenty
dinars. When it reaches that amount, one quarter of one tenth should be paid
on it. End quote. 

It says in Fataawa
al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah: 

What is required is to pay
one quarter of one tenth on what you have of gold or silver or currency or
trade goods, if all of that reaches the minimum threshold by itself or when
added to whatever you have of other wealth that is subject to zakaah,
whether it is money or trade goods, and one year has passed. End quote. 

Fataawa al-Lajnah
al-Daa’imah, 9/439 

Secondly: 

With regard to when the
obligatory duty of zakaah began, that was in Makkah before the Hijrah, then
from the second year AH the definition of the rates and the detailed rulings
were established. 

Hence some scholars say
that zakaah was made obligatory in the second year AH. 

Ibn Katheer (may Allah have
mercy on him) said: 

It is not far-fetched to
say that the principle of obligatory charity (zakaah) was enjoined at the
beginning of the Prophet’s mission, as in the verse (interpretation of the
meaning): “but pay the due thereof on
the day of their harvest” [al-An‘aam 6:141]. As for the zakaah in
which there is a minimum threshold and set rates, that was introduced in
Madeenah. End quote. 

He also said: 

The obligation of zakaah
came in the second year AH in Madeenah, according to what was stated by more
than one. End quote. 

Tafseer Ibn Katheer,
7/164 

Al-Haytami said in
Tuhfat al-Muhraaj (3/209): 

The obligation to pay
zakaah on one’s wealth came in the second year AH, after sadaqat al-fitr was
introduced. End quote. 

In Haashiyat
al-Bujayrami ‘ala al-Khateeb (2/313) it says: 

With regard to the words
“was enjoined in the second year”, there was a difference of opinion as to
which month that happened in. What was stated by our shaykh al-Baabili is
that the most well known view of the hadeeth scholars is that it was
enjoined in Shawwaal of the year mentioned. End quote. 

See: Asna’l-Mataalib,
4/175; Kashshaaf al-Qinaa‘, 2/166 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may
Allah have mercy on him) said: 

Zakaah was enjoined,
according to the soundest opinion of the scholars, in Makkah, but the
definition of the minimum threshold and types of wealth on which zakaah is
due, and who is entitled to zakaah, came in Madeenah. End quote. 

Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn
‘Uthaymeen, 13/1357 

And Allah knows best.