Salary of Zakat collector in era of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb
Question
Have you come across any ḥadīth which mentions the salary of state employees during the era of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him)?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
Answer
Imam Ibn Saʿd (d. 230/845) transmits a narration which mentions that ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (d. 23/644, may Allah be pleased with him) appointed ʿUthmān ibn Ḥunayf (may Allah be pleased with him) to collect Kharāj (land tax) and remunerated him one quarter of a goat and five dirhams (silver coins) daily. The value of one quarter of a goat was approximately 2.5 Dirhams in that era. Thus, the daily salary was approximately 7.5 dirhams. This according to the majority of the scholars of the subcontinent is equivalent to 22.96g silver, whilst according to many Arab scholars this is equivalent to 22.31g.
The value of 22.96g silver as of today is £14.24. As the value of silver has depreciated substantially, the purchasing power of 22.96g silver is equivalent to approximately £27. If the equivalent of 7.5 dirhams is considered in gold, then 0.75 dīnārs (3.059g gold) is worth £130. (For further details regarding these calculations, visit our detailed answer on Mahr Fatimi or Mahr Azwaj).
روى ابنُ سعد (٤/٣٠٥) في ترجمة عثمان بن حُنَيف، من طريق أبي مِجلز، أنَّ عمر وجّه عثمانَ بن حُنَيف على خراج السَّواد ورَزَقَه كلَّ يومٍ رُبعَ شاة وخمسةَ دراهم، الأثر الطَّويل۔
وقيمة الشاة عشرة دراهم، كما يستفاد من كتاب أبي بكر في الصدقة، ففيه: ويعطي معها عشرين درهما أو شاتين، رواه البخاري (١٤٥٣)۔
Allah knows best
Yusuf Shabbir
24 Jumādā al-Thāniyah 1442 / 7 February 2021
Approved by: Mufti Shabbir Ahmed and Mufti Muhammad Tahir