The Reason for Amount of Zakat Levied without the Need to Increase or Decrease

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Washsha’ from abu al-Hassan al-Rida’ (a.s.), who has said the following: “Once, a person asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘The amount of zakat Allah has levied is twenty- five for every one thousand. Why it is not thirty?’ The Imam replied, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has made it twenty- five to be paid from the wealth of affluent people. This much is enough to meet the needs of needy people. If people pay this much no one, in the society, remains needy.’”

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

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Mahbub from Sama‘ah ibn Mehran who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about edible birds and beasts (animals). He (the Imam) said, The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, prohibited using for food of every bird that has claws and beast that has canine teeth.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘O Sama‘ah, all beasts are inedible; even if it is a beast that does not have canine teeth. The Messenger of Allah has mentioned canine teeth for explanation. Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, and His Messenger prohibited all metamorphosed animals. From the birds on land you can use for food that which has craw, and from the sea birds that which has gizzard like the gizzard of pigeons; not stomach like the stomach of human beings. Every bird which flies straight and has claws is not edible, and so also are the straight fliers like falcons and hawks and al- Hida’ah (a bird that hunts rats) and similar birds that flap their wings in flight and have craws or gizzard which defines every edible bird that cannot be distinguished from its flight and the unknown ones.’”

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

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Salmah ibn al-Khattab, from al-Hassan ibn Rashid from Ali ibn Isma’il al-Mithamiy from Habib al- Khath’amiy who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far al-Mansur once wrote to Muhammad ibn Khalid, his governor of al-Madinah, to ask people of al-Madinah about the amount of zakat that was five for every two hundred and how it has become seven for every two hundred which was not as such in the time of the Messenger of Allah. He commanded him to include ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Hassan and Ja‘far ibn Muhammad (a.s.), among the people asked. He (the narrator) has said, ‘He asked people of al-Madinah about it and they replied, “It is because people before us did so.’” He sent someone to ask ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Hassan about it. His answer was just like the answers of other people of al-Madinah. He then asked, ‘What do you say about it, O abu ‘Abd Allah?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘The Messenger of Allah had levied one Awqiyyah on every forty. If you calculate, it becomes equal to seven. The weight was six and dirham was five Dawaniq each.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘We calculate it and it was just as he (the Imam) had said.’ ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Hassan then came to the Imam and asked, ‘On the basis of what source have you come up with this calculation?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘I read it in the book of your mother, Fatimah, ‘Alayha al-Salam .’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘He then returned. Muhammad ibn Khalid then sent his people to the Imam asking for the book of Fatimah, ‘Alayha al-Salam .’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then sent the answer, ‘I only informed you about my reading it in the book of Fatimah, ‘Alayha al-Salam. I did not say that I have the book of Fatimah, ‘Alayha al-Salam, with me.’ Habib has said, ‘Muhammad ibn Khalid would say, “I have never seen anything like this.’””

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

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Ibn abu Najran from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, about what is edible of birds. He (the Imam) said, ‘None of them is edible unless it has a craw.”’

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

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Ali al-Zayyat (Ali ibn Ri’ab) from Zurarah who has said the following: “I swear by Allah that I have never seen anyone like abu Ja‘far, Alayhi al-Salam. I once, said to him (the Imam), ‘I pray to Allah to keep you well, what is edible of birds?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You can use for food all that flap their wings in flight, and do not eat what keeps its wings straight in flight.’ I then asked about eggs. He (the Imam) said, ‘All eggs with ends of similar shapes are not edible and those that have their ends of different shapes are edible.’ I then asked about the birds of water. He (the Imam) said, ‘All that have gizzards are edible and that which have no gizzard are not edible.’”

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

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa ibn ‘Ubayd from Yunus from abu Ja‘far al-Ahwal who has said the following: “Once an atheist asked me, ‘Why is the amount of zakat twenty- five on every one thousand?’ I replied, ‘It is because Salah (prayer) is of two, three and four Rak‘at.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘He agreed with me. I then visited abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and asked him about it.’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, calculated wealthy and destitute people. He found that twenty-five on every one thousand is enough. If this much did not suffice, He would have increased it.’ I went to the atheist and informed him about it. He said, ‘This answer has come from Hijaz on the back of camel.’ He then said, ‘Were I to obey anyone I would obey the author of this statement.’”

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

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Harun ibn Muslim from Mas’adah ibn Sadaqah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Of birds you can eat that which has gizzard and no claws.’ I then asked about birds in water and he (the Imam) said a similar thing.’”

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

5. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from ibn Faddal from ibn Bukayr who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Of birds you can eat whatever has gizzard or spur of the rooster or craws.’”

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

6. Certain persons of our people have narrated from ibn Jumhur from Muhammad ibn al-Qasim from ‘Abd Allah ibn abu Ya‘fur who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, about birds that I find in wilderness and about which is edible. He (the Imam) said, ‘All birds that flap their wings in flight are edible and all birds that keep their wings straight in flight are not edible.’ ‘What happens if they are brought to me already slaughtered?’ He (the Imam) said, ’Eat whatever has craws.’”

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

3. Ahmad ibn Idris and others have narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Hafs from Sabah al-Hadhdha’ from Quthama who has said the following: “I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, why the amount of zakat on every one thousand is twenty-five and not less or more and what is the reason?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, created all people, small, large, wealthy and poor. He made twenty-five destitute ones in every one thousand. If this much did not suffice, He would have levied more; He is their Creator and He knows more about them than they do.’”

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