Hawl (the lunar year in zakat)

الحَوْل

Hawl lexically is a year, and also has the senses of strength, change and staying; the year was so named from the turning of the sun. ¹ A year is a condition for zakat on grazing livestock, gold and silver and trade goods, on the saying 'no zakat on property until a year passes over it', because such property is kept for increase. ^{1 2} Crops, fruits and minerals need no year; a mineral of the kind of money is due every year. ² The year begins when the nisab is owned; gains of the same kind as the principal join it when they grow from it, while an independent gain has its own year for the Shafiis and Hanbalis; the Hanafis join it, the Malikis for livestock only. ^{2 3} The majority require the nisab throughout the year, the Hanafis at its beginning and end, and the year ends when the whole nisab perishes. ^{3 4} Exchanging the nisab for the same kind does not break the year for the Malikis and Hanbalis, but does for the Hanafis and Shafiis in livestock; exchanging for another kind breaks it by agreement, and an exchange made to evade zakat does not remove the duty. ^{4 5} The article also notes the age limit for suckling as a bar to marriage: the Shafiis, Hanbalis and the two disciples require the child to be under two years, the Malikis allow two months over, and Abu Hanifa allows two years and a half. ⁶