Q:

Is oil included in the zakatable items?

A:

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “One fifth is due [as Zakah] on rikaz (buried treasures.)” [al-Bukhari and Muslim]

This one fifth is payable once the rikaz is extracted regardless of the mount discovered, for there is no nisab (minimum amount of wealth to be zakatable); and the elapse of a whole lunar year is not necessary as well.

The majority of contemporary scholars include oil in the concept of rikaz. If this oil is extracted by an individual or a company, one fifth becomes due as zakah.

The same is the case if it is extracted by the state authority, according to a group of scholars who regard the state as a legal personality.

But, according to another group of scholars, the state authority cannot be subject to Zakah because it has to utilize it for public interests anyway. This latter opinion sounds more reasonable.

Almighty Allah knows best.