Paying Zakat on Behalf of a Deceased

فِي رَجُلٍ فَرَّطَ فِي إِخْرَاجِ زَكَاتِهِ فِي حَيَاتِهِ فَلَمَّا حَضَرَتْهُ الْوَفَاةُ حَسَبَ جَمِيعَ مَا كَانَ فَرَّطَ فِيهِ مِمَّا لَزِمَهُ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ ثُمَّ أَوْصَى بِهِ أَنْ يُخْرَجَ ذَلِكَ فَيُدْفَعَ إِلَى مَنْ يَجِبُ لَهُ قَالَ جَائِزٌ يُخْرَجُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ الْمَالِ إِنَّمَا هُوَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ دَيْنٍ لَوْ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ لَيْسَ لِلْوَرَثَةِ شَيْ‌ءٌ حَتَّى يُؤَدُّوا مَا أَوْصَى بِهِ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ.

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who misses paying Zakat of his assets during his life time. When he is about to die, he calculates all that he owes as Zakat and then in his will states that such and such amount must be paid as Zakat. Can such Zakat be paid to proper beneficiaries? He (the Imam) said, ‘

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع رَجُلٌ لَمْ يُزَكِّ مَالَهُ فَأَخْرَجَ زَكَاتَهُ عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ فَأَدَّاهَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ يُجْزِئُ عَنْهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ أَوْصَى بِوَصِيَّةٍ مِنْ ثُلُثِهِ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ زَكَّى أَ يُجْزِئُ عَنْهُ مِنْ زَكَاتِهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ يُحْسَبُ لَهُ زَكَاةٌ وَ لَا تَكُونُ لَهُ نَافِلَةٌ وَ عَلَيْهِ فَرِيضَةٌ.

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about a man who does not pay Zakat until he is about to die. At such time if he pays Zakat in full is that acceptable? He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it is acceptable? I then asked, ‘If he makes a will that from one-third of his legacy, Zakat which due on him must be paid, will that kind of

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّ عَلَى أَخِي زَكَاةً كَثِيرَةً فَأَقْضِيهَا أَوْ أُؤَدِّيهَا عَنْهُ فَقَالَ لِي وَ كَيْفَ لَكَ بِذَلِكَ قُلْتُ أَحْتَاطُ قَالَ نَعَمْ إِذاً تُفَرِّجَ عَنْهُ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of my brother who owes a large amount of Zakat, can I pay for him? He (the Imam) asked, ‘Why do you pay it?’ I replied, ‘I do so out of precaution.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Obviously, you provide him great relief.’”

قُلْتُ لَهُ رَجُلٌ يَمُوتُ وَ عَلَيْهِ خَمْسُ مِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ وَ عَلَيْهِ حَجَّةُ الْإِسْلَامِ وَ تَرَكَ ثَلَاثَمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ فَأَوْصَى بِحَجَّةِ الْإِسْلَامِ وَ أَنْ يُقْضَى عَنْهُ دَيْنُ الزَّكَاةِ قَالَ يُحَجُّ عَنْهُ مِنْ أَقْرَبِ مَا يَكُونُ وَ يُخْرَجُ الْبَقِيَّةُ فِي الزَّكَاةِ.

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about a man who at death owed five hundred dirham of Zakat and one Hajjatu al-Islam. His legacy is three hundred dirham. He has made a will about performing Hajjatu al-Islam for him as well as to pay his debt of Zakat. He (the Imam) said, ‘Hajj must be performed for him from the clo

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْأَوَّلِ ع رَجُلٌ مَاتَ وَ عَلَيْهِ زَكَاةٌ وَ أَوْصَى أَنْ تُقْضَى عَنْهُ الزَّكَاةُ وَ وُلْدُهُ‌ مَحَاوِيجُ إِنْ دَفَعُوهَا أَضَرَّ ذَلِكَ بِهِمْ ضَرَراً شَدِيداً فَقَالَ يُخْرِجُونَهَا فَيَعُودُونَ بِهَا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَ يُخْرِجُونَ مِنْهَا شَيْئاً فَيُدْفَعُ إِلَى غَيْرِهِمْ.

“I once asked abu al-Hassan, al-Awwal (a.s.), about a man who has died and he owes Zakat. He has made a will about payment of Zakat and his children are needy. If such payment is made it will harm them a great deal. He (the Imam) said, ‘They take the amount of Zakat out of the legacy and pay it to themselves, except so