Rules about Sultan’s Taxes on Taxpayers

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ أَصْحَابَ أَبِي أَتَوْهُ فَسَأَلُوهُ عَمَّا يَأْخُذُ السُّلْطَانُ فَرَقَّ لَهُمْ وَ إِنَّهُ لَيَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الزَّكَاةَ لَا تَحِلُّ إِلَّا لِأَهْلِهَا فَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَحْتَسِبُوا بِهِ فَجَالَ فِكْرِي‌[1] وَ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَبَةِ إِنَّهُمْ إِنْ سَمِعُوا إِذاً لَمْ يُزَكِّ أَحَدٌ فَقَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ حَقٌّ أَحَبَّ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُظْهِرَهُ.

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘Once companions of my father came to him and asked about the money that al-Sultan (the ruler) makes them to pay. My father sympathized with them, knowing that receiving Zakat is not lawful unless one is a proper beneficiary, he instructed them to count such payment as Zakat. I

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْعُشُورِ الَّتِي تُؤْخَذُ مِنَ الرَّجُلِ أَ يَحْتَسِبُ بِهَا مِنْ زَكَاتِهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ إِنْ شَاءَ.

about a man who is made (by the ruler) to pay one out of ten if he can count it as Zakat. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he can do so if he wants.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَرِثُ الْأَرْضَ أَوْ يَشْتَرِيهَا فَيُؤَدِّي خَرَاجَهَا إِلَى السُّلْطَانِ هَلْ عَلَيْهِ عُشْرٌ قَالَ لَا.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who inherits a piece of land or buys it then pays its taxes to al-Sultan (the ruler), is he required to pay one out of ten (as Zakat)? He (the Imam) said, ‘No, he is not required to pay.’”

مَا أَخَذَ مِنْكُمْ بَنُو أُمَيَّةَ فَاحْتَسِبُوا بِهِ وَ لَا تُعْطُوهُمْ شَيْئاً مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ فَإِنَّ الْمَالَ لَا يَبْقَى عَلَى هَذَا أَنْ تُزَكِّيَهُ مَرَّتَيْنِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Whatever banu ‘Umayyah make you to pay, count it (as Zakat) and do not give anything to them if you can; no assets will be left if you pay twice.’”

أَنَّهُ حَيْثُ أَنْشَأَ سَهْلَ‌آبَادَ وَ سَأَلَ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى ع عَمَّا يُخْرَجُ مِنْهَا مَا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ السُّلْطَانُ يَأْخُذُ خَرَاجَهَا فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكَ شَيْ‌ءٌ وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَأْخُذِ السُّلْطَانُ مِنْهَا شَيْئاً فَعَلَيْكَ إِخْرَاجُ عُشْرِ مَا يَكُونُ فِيهَا

“Sahl once asked abu al-Hassan, Musa (a.s.), about what he pays to al-Sultan (the ruler). He (the Imam) said, ‘If al-Sultan (the ruler) receives its Kharaj (taxes) there is not anything on you; but if al-Sultan (the ruler) does not receive anything, then you pay one out of ten of whatever is due.’”

مَا أَخَذَهُ مِنْكَ الْعَاشِرُ فَطَرَحَهُ فِي كُوزِهِ فَهُوَ مِنْ زَكَاتِكَ وَ مَا لَمْ يَطْرَحْ فِي الْكُوزِ فَلَا تَحْتَسِبْهُ مِنْ زَكَاتِكَ‌[1].

‘Whatever the collector of one out of ten (Zakat collector) charges you and deposits it in the mug (the safe), it is your Zakat. If he does not do so then do not count it as your Zakat.’”