The Reason for Amount of Zakat Levied without the Need to Increase or Decrease

قِيلَ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع لِأَيِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ الزَّكَاةَ خَمْسَةً وَ عِشْرِينَ فِي كُلِّ أَلْفٍ وَ لَمْ يَجْعَلْهَا ثَلَاثِينَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ جَعَلَهَا خَمْسَةً وَ عِشْرِينَ أَخْرَجَ مِنْ أَمْوَالِ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ بِقَدْرِ مَا يَكْتَفِي بِهِ الْفُقَرَاءُ وَ لَوْ أَخْرَجَ النَّاسُ زَكَاةَ أَمْوَالِهِمْ مَا احْتَاجَ أَحَدٌ.

“Once, a person asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘The amount of zakat Allah has levied is twenty- five for every one thousand. Why it is not thirty?’ The Imam replied, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has made it twenty- five to be paid from the wealth of affluent people. This much is enough to meet the needs

كَتَبَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ الْمَنْصُورُ إِلَى مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ وَ كَانَ عَامِلَهُ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ أَهْلَ الْمَدِينَةِ عَنِ الْخَمْسَةِ فِي الزَّكَاةِ مِنَ الْمِائَتَيْنِ كَيْفَ صَارَتْ وَزْنَ سَبْعَةٍ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ هَذَا عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ أَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ فِيمَنْ يَسْأَلُ- عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ الْحَسَنِ وَ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ ع قَالَ فَسَأَلَ أَهْلَ الْمَدِينَةِ فَقَالُوا أ

“Abu Ja‘far al-Mansur once wrote to Muhammad ibn Khalid, his governor of al-Madinah, to ask people of al-Madinah about the amount of zakat that was five for every two hundred and how it has become seven for every two hundred which was not as such in the time of the Messenger of Allah. He commanded him to include ‘Abd A

قُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الزَّكَاةِ كَيْفَ صَارَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ خَمْسَةً وَ عِشْرِينَ لَمْ تَكُنْ أَقَلَّ أَوْ أَكْثَرَ مَا وَجْهُهَا فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ كُلَّهُمْ فَعَلِمَ صَغِيرَهُمْ وَ كَبِيرَهُمْ وَ غَنِيَّهُمْ وَ فَقِيرَهُمْ‌ فَجَعَلَ مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفِ إِنْسَانٍ خَمْسَةً وَ عِشْرِينَ مِسْكِيناً وَ لَوْ عَلِمَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ لَا يَسَعُهُمْ لَزَادَهُمْ لِأَ

3. Ahmad ibn Idris and others have narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Hafs from Sabah al-Hadhdha’ from Quthama who has said the following: “I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, why the amount of zakat on every one tho

سَأَلَنِي رَجُلٌ مِنَ الزَّنَادِقَةِ فَقَالَ كَيْفَ صَارَتِ الزَّكَاةُ مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ خَمْسَةً وَ عِشْرِينَ دِرْهَماً فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّمَا ذَلِكَ مِثْلُ الصَّلَاةِ ثَلَاثٌ وَ ثِنْتَانِ وَ أَرْبَعٌ قَالَ فَقَبِلَ مِنِّي ثُمَّ لَقِيتُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ حَسَبَ الْأَمْوَالَ وَ الْمَسَاكِينَ فَوَجَدَ مَا يَكْفِيهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ خَم

“Once an atheist asked me, ‘Why is the amount of zakat twenty- five on every one thousand?’ I replied, ‘It is because Salah (prayer) is of two, three and four Rak‘at.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘He agreed with me. I then visited abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and asked him about it.’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘Allah, the Most M

قَالا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ الزَّكَاةَ مَعَ الصَّلَاةِ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَ سَنَّهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص فِي تِسْعَةِ أَشْيَاءَ وَ عَفَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ عَمَّا سِوَاهُنَّ فِي الذَّهَبِ وَ الْفِضَّةِ وَ الْإِبِلِ وَ الْبَقَرِ وَ الْغَنَمِ وَ الْحِنْطَةِ وَ الشَّعِيرِ وَ التَّمْرِ وَ الزَّبِيبِ وَ عَفَا عَمَّا سِوَى ذَلِكَ

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad from Hariz Zurarah and Muhammad, abu Basir, Burayd ibn Mu‘awiyah al-‘Ijliy and Fudayl ibn Yasar who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far, and abu ’Abd Allah, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, have said, ‘Allah made Zakat, just as Salah (prayer) is, obligatory on wealth and th

وَضَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص الزَّكَاةَ عَلَى تِسْعَةِ أَشْيَاءَ الْحِنْطَةِ وَ الشَّعِيرِ وَ التَّمْرِ وَ الزَّبِيبِ وَ الذَّهَبِ وَ الْفِضَّةِ وَ الْإِبِلِ وَ الْبَقَرِ وَ الْغَنَمِ وَ عَفَا عَمَّا سِوَى ذَلِكَ قَالَ يُونُسُ مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ إِنَّ الزَّكَاةَ فِي تِسْعَةِ أَشْيَاءَ وَ عَفَا عَمَّا سِوَى ذَلِكَ إِنَّمَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ فِي أَوَّلِ النُّبُوَّةِ كَمَا كَانَتِ الصَّلَاةُ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ زَادَ رَسُولُ اللَّه

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ’Isma’il ibn Marrar from Yunus from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muskan from abu Bakr al- Hadramiy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘The Messenger of Allah made Zakat obligatory on nine categories of wealth wheat, barley, dates, raisins, gol