Zakat Paid To Those Who Do Not Believe in the Divine Authority of ’A’immah

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ مَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ يَمْنَعُ دِرْهَماً مِنْ حَقٍّ إِلَّا أَنْفَقَ اثْنَيْنِ فِي غَيْرِ حَقِّهِ وَ مَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ مَنَعَ حَقّاً فِي مَالِهِ إِلَّا طَوَّقَهُ اللَّهُ بِهِ حَيَّةً مِنْ نَارٍ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ رَجُلٌ عَارِفٌ أَدَّى زَكَاتَهُ إِلَى غَيْرِ أَهْلِهَا زَمَاناً هَلْ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُؤَدِّيَهَا ثَانِياً إِلَى أَهْلِهَا إِذَا عَلِمَهُمْ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘Whoever withholds one dirham of right, he ends up spending two dirhams for the cause of falsehood. If one denies payment of one dirham of right on his wealth, Allah makes a snake of fire to curl around him on the Day of Judgment.’ He (the narrator) has said that he asked about

إِنَّ الصَّدَقَةَ وَ الزَّكَاةَ لَا يُحَابَى بِهَا قَرِيبٌ وَ لَمْ يُمْنَعْهَا بَعِيدٌ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Zakat cannot be given as a gift to relatives or be denied to non-relatives.’”

قَالَ لِي شِهَابُ بْنُ عَبْدِ رَبِّهِ أَقْرِئْ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِّي السَّلَامَ وَ أَعْلِمْهُ أَنَّهُ يُصِيبُنِي فَزَعٌ فِي مَنَامِي قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ شِهَاباً يُقْرِئُكَ السَّلَامَ وَ يَقُولُ لَكَ إِنَّهُ يُصِيبُنِي فَزَعٌ فِي مَنَامِي قَالَ قُلْ لَهُ فَلْيُزَكِّ مَالَهُ قَالَ فَأَبْلَغْتُ شِهَاباً ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لِي فَتُبْلِغُهُ عَنِّي فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ فَقَالَ قُلْ لَهُ إِنَّ الصِّبْيَانَ فَضْلًا عَن

“Shihab ibn “Abd Rabbihi once asked me to convey his Salam (greeting of peace) to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and that he becomes terrified in his sleep. I then said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), that Shihab has offered Salam (greeting of peace) and has said that he becomes terrified in his sleep. He (the Imam) said, ‘Tell him

كَتَبَ إِلَيَّ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَنَّ كُلَّ عَمَلٍ عَمِلَهُ النَّاصِبُ فِي حَالِ ضَلَالِهِ أَوْ حَالِ نَصْبِهِ ثُمَّ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ عَرَّفَهُ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ فَإِنَّهُ يُؤْجَرُ عَلَيْهِ وَ يُكْتَبُ لَهُ إِلَّا الزَّكَاةَ فَإِنَّهُ يُعِيدُهَا لِأَنَّهُ وَضَعَهَا فِي غَيْرِ مَوْضِعِهَا وَ إِنَّمَا مَوْضِعُهَا أَهْلُ الْوَلَايَةِ وَ أَمَّا الصَّلَاةُ وَ الصَّوْمُ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ قَضَاؤُهُمَا.

’Every deed that a Nasib (one hostile to ’A’immah) does in his condition as such, then Allah grants him the favor of making him to acknowledge this issue (the Divine Authority of ’A’immah), He gives him the reward for all of his deeds except Zakat which he must pay again. It is because of his giving it to improper bene

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الزَّكَاةِ هَلْ تُوضَعُ فِيمَنْ لَا يَعْرِفُ قَالَ لَا وَ لَا زَكَاةُ الْفِطْرَةِ.

“I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), if Zakat can be given to those who do not acknowledge this issue (the Divine Authority of ’A’immah). He (the Imam) said, ‘No, not even al-Fitrah Zakat can be given to them.’”