Minimum and Maximum Amount of Zakat Payable to a Needy Person

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ لَا يُعْطَى أَحَدٌ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ أَقَلَّ مِنْ خَمْسَةِ دَرَاهِمَ وَ هُوَ أَقَلُّ مَا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ فِي أَمْوَالِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَلَا يُعْطُوا أَحَداً مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ أَقَلَّ مِنْ خَمْسَةِ دَرَاهِمَ فَصَاعِداً.

’Less than five dirham of Zakat must not be given to anyone. This is the minimum that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has made obligatory on the assets of the Muslims. Do not give anyone less than five dirham but give more and so on.’”

قُلْتُ لَهُ أُعْطِي الرَّجُلَ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ ثَمَانِينَ دِرْهَماً قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ زِدْهُ قُلْتُ أُعْطِيهِ مِائَةً قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ أَغْنِهِ إِنْ قَدَرْتَ أَنْ تُغْنِيَهُ.

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), ’Can eighty dirham be given as Zakat to someone? He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, and increase it.’ I then asked, ‘Can one hundred dirham be given as Zakat to someone?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, you can make him rich if you can do so.’”

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع إِذَا أَعْطَيْتَ فَأَغْنِهِ.

that abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘When you pay make him rich.’”

تُعْطِيهِ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ حَتَّى تُغْنِيَهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Pay from Zakat until you make him rich (sufficient for his one year’s expenses).”’