1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from abu Muhammad al-Wabishiy who has said the following: “Certain persons of our people asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who has purchased with money from Zakat of his assets his own father. He (the Imam) said, ‘He has purchased the best slave and it is not harmful.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. Rid has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man whose father is indebted and has certain expenses; if he can give his father from his Zakat to pay his debts. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, who is more deserving than his own father.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Hariz from Zurarah who has said the following: “I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that there is a man whose father has died and he is indebted. Can he pay the debts on his father from Zakat he owes when the son has a great wealth? He (the Imam) said, ‘If his father has left a legacy for him and then it is found out that there are debts on his father that he did not know on that day, he pays the debts from the whole legacy, but he does not pay it from his Zakat. However, if he did not leave any legacy then no one is more deserving of his Zakat than the debts of his father. If he pays off the debts of his father in such case it is acceptable (as payment of Zakat).”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.