Paying Zakat to Small Dependents of a Believer or Offset a Loan

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Hariz from abu Basir who has said the following: “I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who dies and leaves behind dependents. Can Zakat be given to them? He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, until they grow up, become adults and ask (themselves) by what means could they live and survive if that Zakat was cut off from them. I then said, ‘They do not know. He (the Imam) said, ‘The memories of their dead must be preserved and the religion of their father must be made beloved to them, so that they pay attention to the religion of their father; and if they become adults and decide to go to others; then do not give them any Zakat.”

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

1. Abu Ali al-Ash‘ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muskan from Muhammad al-Halabiy who has said the following: “I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about this verse, ’It is not unlawful for you to eat in your houses, in the houses of your fathers. . . (24:61) and I asked what is the meaning of, ‘or your friend’?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘That by Allah is the house of his friend where he can eat without his permission.’”

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

2. Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan and Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al- Hassan all from Safwan ibn Yahya from ‘Abd al- Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj who has said the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about a man of knowledge and excellence who dies owing a certain amount of debts. He was not corrupt, a spendthrift, or a known beggar; can his debts be paid from Zakat like one or two thousand? He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it can be paid.”

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

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Khalid from his father from Safwan from Musa ibn Bakr from Zurarah who has said the following: “About the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ’. . . or the house to which you have the keys or your friend’, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has stated this Hadith. ‘The people Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has mentioned in this verse can eat without the permission of the owner of the house, things such as dates and curries and so also can a woman eat from the house of her husband without his permission. However, it is not permissible for them to eat other items of food besides the ones mentioned above.’”

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

3. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla’ ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Washsha’ from Ahmad ibn ‘A’idh from abu Khadijah who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Children of a Muslim man who dies can receive Zakat and al-Fitrah just as their father would receive, until they become adults and become knowledgeable of what their father was knowledgeable (believed in); they still can receive Zakat but if they become hostile, then Zakat is not given to them.”

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

3. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr from Jamil ibn Darraj who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A woman can eat and give charity and a friend can eat and give charity from the house of his brother.’”

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

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Khalid from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Urwah from ‘Abd Allah ibn Bukayr from Zurarah who has narrated the following: “I once asked one of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, about the meaning of the words of Allah. ‘ ... it is not an offense on your part if you eat from your homes or the homes of your fathers or the homes of your mothers. . . .’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not an offense on your part if you eat or consume from the homes for which you have the keys as long as you do not destroy it.’”

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

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from those whom he has mentioned who has said the following: “About the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘. . . and that to which you have the keys’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘A man can be an agent who is being made the incharge person to look after certain assets, he can eat without the permission of the owner.’”

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