There are authentic ahadith explicitly indicating that camels, cattle, and sheep are subject to zakah. This enjoys the consensus. There are, however, some conditions to be met:
1. The animals concerned must attain a nisab.
2. They have to be in possession for one year.
3. They should have pastured by themselves – that is, grazing most of the year in the available pasture.
Most scholars agree with these conditions. Malik and al-Layth, however, say that livestock is subject to zakah whether it be grazing or fodder-fed, used for carrying loads or not. Nevertheless, the ahadiths mentioned are unequivocal in restricting zakah to freely grazing livestock. This suggests that there is no zakah on fodder-fed livestock. It is always safe to base an opinion on evidence rather than on general implications to avoid possible misunderstanding of the Prophet’s intent.
Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr protests: “I do not know of any jurist in the provinces who followed Malik or al-Layth in this regard.”