Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam that Allah has dictated upon those whose savings exceed the specified threshold. It is taken from the wealthy and given to the poor (i.e., all those who are eligible to receive it according to the Quran). Allah and His Messenger ﷺ explained all the rulings and details pertaining to this obligatory act of worship to protect the wealthy ones from injustice and protect the rights of those who are in need. In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote him a letter in which he explained the due zakat on livestock that Allah has ordered His Messenger ﷺ to take. This letter was penned when Anas was appointed to collect the zakat from people in al-Bahrayn, which is a region that includes today the kingdom of Bahrain as well as Al-Ihsaa’ and al-Qateef in the eastern parts of Saudi Arabia. The letter explained that for every 25-35 camels, the zakat collector should take one she-camel that has completed the age of one lunar year. If no she-camel that meets this criterial is available, then a she-camel that has competed the age of two lunar years instead and pay the zakat payer 20 Dirhams of pure silver or two sheep, aged between two to three years to make up the age difference between the camels. The reason 20 Dirhams or two sheep were specified is to avert any possible disputes between people. (If the Zakat payer had not a Bint Makhaad): This could mean either that the zakat payer (i) does not have one at all, (ii) does not have one that is not sick since sickness disqualifies the she-camel, (iii) or does not have an average she-camel to give, and only has a top-notch she camel i.e., the zakat payer is not obliged to give a top-notch she-camel. If any of the aforementioned three scenarios happened, the zakat payer is allowed to give, in lieu, a he-camel that completed the age of two years even if its value is lower without having to pay the difference in value. From the benefits of this hadeeth is learning that it is permissible to take zakat in a form other than silver and gold. This is obvious in the statement: “the collector of Zakat would return him 20 Dirhams or two sheep” because the two sheep are non-monetary items. It shows that Islam is a religion that is well structured and organised in all its legislations and rulings, and it treats people with justice and never transgresses the rights of others. .