Compensation and Imam (a.s.)

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ الْإِمَامَ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى مَا فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ فَهُوَ كَافِرٌ[3] إِنَّمَا النَّاسُ يَحْتَاجُونَ أَنْ يَقْبَلَ مِنْهُمُ الْإِمَامُ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ‌ وَ تُزَكِّيهِمْ‌ بِها[4].

“Whoever would think that imam is needy to what people own he would become an unbeliever. It is the people who need that Imam accept from them. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, has said, “Collect religious tax (zakat) from them to purify and cleanse them and pray for them;. .” (9:103)

إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ فِي كِتَابِهِ‌ مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ‌ قَرْضاً حَسَناً فَيُضاعِفَهُ لَهُ‌ أَضْعافاً كَثِيرَةً[5] قَالَ هُوَ وَ اللَّهِ فِي صِلَةِ الْإِمَامِ خَاصَّةً.

“There is nothing more beloved to Allah than the Dirhams taken out (of one’s property) to pay to the Imam (a.s.). On the Day of Judgment Allah will his Dirham as big as the mountain of ’Uhud.” He then said, “Allah, the Most High has said in His book, “One who generously lends to God will be paid back in many multiples

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَسْأَلْ خَلْقَهُ مَا فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ قَرْضاً مِنْ حَاجَةٍ بِهِ إِلَى ذَلِكَ وَ مَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ مِنْ حَقٍّ فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ لِوَلِيِّهِ.

“I heard abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say, ‘Allah does not ask His creatures to lend Him from their properties because He needs it. In fact, Whatever such rights Allah has they are for His appointed guardian (over His creatures).”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضاً حَسَناً فَيُضاعِفَهُ لَهُ وَ لَهُ أَجْرٌ كَرِيمٌ‌[6] قَالَ نَزَلَتْ فِي صِلَةِ الْإِمَامِ.

“The narrator has said that he asked abu Ibrahim (a.s.) about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Gracious, ‘Whoever gives a virtuous loan to God will receive double from Him in addition to an honorable reward.” (57:11).The Imam (a.s.) said, “It was revealed about the payments to Imam.”

لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ يَا مَيَّاحُ دِرْهَمٌ يُوصَلُ بِهِ الْإِمَامُ أَعْظَمُ وَزْناً مِنْ أُحُدٍ.

“Once abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) said to me, “O Mayyah, one Dirham paid to the Imam is greater in weight than the mountain of ’Uhud.”

دِرْهَمٌ يُوصَلُ بِهِ الْإِمَامُ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَلْفَيْ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ فِيمَا سِوَاهُ مِنْ وُجُوهِ الْبِرِّ.

“One Dirham paid to the Imam earns more reward than two million Dirhams paid for other charities.”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنِّي لآَخُذُ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمُ الدِّرْهَمَ وَ إِنِّي لَمِنْ أَكْثَرِ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ مَالًا مَا أُرِيدُ بِذَلِكَ إِلَّا أَنْ تُطَهَّرُوا.

“I heard abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) say, ‘I procure payment of one Dirham from a person of you when I am the wealthiest of the people of the city of al-Madina I accept such payments just to purify you.”