Times Zakat Is Due

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الزَّكَاةِ فَقَالَ انْظُرْ شَهْراً مِنَ السَّنَةِ فَانْوِ أَنْ تُؤَدِّيَ زَكَاتَكَ فِيهِ فَإِذَا دَخَلَ ذَلِكَ الشَّهْرُ فَانْظُرْ مَا نَضَّ يَعْنِي مَا حَصَلَ فِي يَدِكَ مِنْ مَالِكَ فَزَكِّهِ فَإِذَا حَالَ الْحَوْلُ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ الَّذِي زَكَّيْتَ فِيهِ فَاسْتَقْبِلْ بِمِثْلِ مَا صَنَعْتَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ أَكْثَرُ مِنْهُ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about Zakat. He (the Imam) said, ‘You can choose one of the months of the year and decide to pay Zakat in that month. In that month you must find out what are your assets and pay Zakat thereof. After one year you must do the same thing again and you are not required to do anything m

قُلْتُ لَهُ هَلْ لِلزَّكَاةِ وَقْتٌ مَعْلُومٌ تُعْطَى فِيهِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَيَخْتَلِفُ فِي إِصَابَةِ الرَّجُلِ الْمَالَ وَ أَمَّا الْفِطْرَةُ فَإِنَّهَا مَعْلُومَةٌ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), Is there a definite time to pay Zakat? He (the Imam) said, ‘That depends on one’s earnings. However, the time for al-Fitrah is definite.”’

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع زَكَاتِي تَحِلُّ عَلَيَّ فِي شَهْرٍ أَ يَصْلُحُ لِي أَنْ أَحْبِسَ مِنْهَا شَيْئاً مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يَجِيئَنِي مَنْ يَسْأَلُنِي فَقَالَ إِذَا حَالَ الْحَوْلُ فَأَخْرِجْهَا مِنْ مَالِكَ لَا تَخْلُطْهَا بِشَيْ‌ءٍ ثُمَّ أَعْطِهَا كَيْفَ شِئْتَ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ أَنَا كَتَبْتُهَا وَ أَثْبَتُّهَا يَسْتَقِيمُ لِي قَالَ لَا يَضُرُّكَ.

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that there is a certain month in which I pay Zakat. Can I keep a certain amount separate for an emergency, in case, someone comes asking? He (the Imam) said, ‘Once the year is complete, you must pay Zakat of your asset and you must not mix it with anything, and then give whatever

سَأَلْتُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ تَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ الزَّكَاةُ فِي السَّنَةِ فِي ثَلَاثِ أَوْقَاتٍ أَ يُؤَخِّرُهَا حَتَّى يَدْفَعَهَا فِي وَقْتٍ وَاحِدٍ فَقَالَ مَتَى حَلَّتْ أَخْرَجَهَا وَ عَنِ الزَّكَاةِ فِي الْحِنْطَةِ وَ الشَّعِيرِ وَ التَّمْرِ وَ الزَّبِيبِ مَتَى تَجِبُ عَلَى صَاحِبِهَا قَالَ إِذَا مَا صَرَمَ وَ إِذَا مَا خَرَصَ.

‘When it is the time to pay Zakat of wheat, barley, dates and raisins? He (the Imam) said, ‘It is when he cuts and estimates.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَكُونُ لِي عَلَى الرَّجُلِ مَالٌ فَأَقْبِضُهُ مِنْهُ مَتَى أُزَكِّيهِ قَالَ إِذَا قَبَضْتَهُ فَزَكِّهِ قُلْتُ فَإِنِّي أَقْبِضُ بَعْضَهُ فِي صَدْرِ السَّنَةِ وَ بَعْضَهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَتَبَسَّمَ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَا أَحْسَنَ مَا دَخَلْتَ فِيهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ مَا قَبَضْتَهُ مِنْهُ فِي السِّتَّةِ الْأَشْهُرِ الْأُولَى فَزَكِّهِ لِسَنَتِهِ وَ مَا قَبَضْتَهُ بَعْدُ فِي السِّتَّةِ الْأَشْه

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that if I collect what I have lent to someone when must I pay Zakat? He (the Imam) said, ‘Pay when you collect it.’ I then said, ‘I collect a certain amount in a certain time of the year and another amount in another time of the year. He (the Imam) smiled and then said, ‘How good

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ يَكُونُ نِصْفُ مَالِهِ عَيْناً وَ نِصْفُهُ دَيْناً فَتَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ الزَّكَاةُ قَالَ يُزَكِّي الْعَيْنَ وَ يَدَعُ الدَّيْنَ قُلْتُ فَإِنَّهُ اقْتَضَاهُ بَعْدَ سِتَّةِ أَشْهُرٍ قَالَ يُزَكِّيهِ حِينَ اقْتَضَاهُ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ هُوَ حَالَ عَلَيْهِ الْحَوْلُ وَ حَلَّ الشَّهْرُ الَّذِي كَانَ يُزَكِّي فِيهِ وَ قَدْ أَتَى لِنِصْفِ مَالِهِ سَنَةٌ وَ لِنِصْفِهِ الْآخَرِ سِتَّةُ أَشْهُرٍ قَالَ يُزَكِّي

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man whose asset is half in substance and half as loan. The time of paying Zakat comes. He (the Imam) said, ‘He is required to pay Zakat of the substance and leave the loan.’ I then said that he receives payment after six months. He (the Imam) said, ‘He is required to pay its

فِي الرَّجُلِ يُخْرِجُ زَكَاتَهُ فَيَقْسِمُ بَعْضَهَا وَ يُبْقِي بَعْضَهَا يَلْتَمِسُ بِهَا الْمَوْضِعَ فَيَكُونُ مِنْ أَوَّلِهِ إِلَى آخِرِهِ ثَلَاثَةُ أَشْهُرٍ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who pays his Zakat. He distributes a certain amount of it and keeps a certain amount to find proper recipient and this takes three months altogether. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع الرَّجُلُ يَكُونُ عِنْدَهُ الْمَالُ أَ يُزَكِّيهِ إِذَا مَضَى نِصْفُ السَّنَةِ قَالَ لَا وَ لَكِنْ حَتَّى يَحُولَ عَلَيْهِ الْحَوْلُ وَ يَحِلَّ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لِأَحَدٍ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ صَلَاةً إِلَّا لِوَقْتِهَا وَ كَذَلِكَ الزَّكَاةُ وَ لَا يَصُومُ أَحَدٌ شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ إِلَّا فِي شَهْرِهِ إِلَّا قَضَاءً وَ كُلُّ فَرِيضَةٍ إِنَّمَا تُؤَدَّى إِذَا حَلَّتْ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who pays Zakat when half of the year passes. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, he must allow one year to pass. Just as it is not permissible to perform Salah (prayer) before its time, so also is Zakat. No one can fast for the month of Ramadan in a month other than the month of Ra

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع أَ يُزَكِّي الرَّجُلُ مَالَهُ إِذَا مَضَى ثُلُثُ السَّنَةِ قَالَ لَا أَ يُصَلِّي الْأُولَى قَبْلَ الزَّوَالِ. - وَ قَدْ رُوِيَ أَيْضاً أَنَّهُ يَجُوزُ إِذَا أَتَاهُ مَنْ يَصْلُحُ لَهُ الزَّكَاةُ أَنْ يُعَجِّلَ لَهُ قَبْلَ وَقْتِ الزَّكَاةِ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ يَضْمَنُهَا إِذَا جَاءَ وَقْتُ الزَّكَاةِ وَ قَدْ أَيْسَرَ الْمُعْطَى أَوِ ارْتَدَّ أَعَادَ الزَّكَاةَ. بَابٌ‌

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), ‘Can one pay Zakat after one-third of the year passes?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, can one perform al-Dhuhr before Zawal (declining of the sun toward the west at noontime)?”’ “It is also narrated that it is permissible if deserving recipient is present and to pay to him before the time fo