Preferences for Relatives and Those of Them to Whom Zakat Cannot Be Paid

قُلْتُ لَهُ لِي قَرَابَةٌ أُنْفِقُ عَلَى بَعْضِهِمْ وَ أُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فَيَأْتِينِي إِبَّانُ الزَّكَاةِ[1] أَ فَأُعْطِيهِمْ مِنْهَا قَالَ مُسْتَحِقُّونَ لَهَا قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ هُمْ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ أَعْطِهِمْ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَمَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَلْزَمُنِي مِنْ ذَوِي قَرَابَتِي حَتَّى لَا أَحْسُبَ الزَّكَاةَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ أَبُوكَ وَ أُمُّكَ قُلْتُ أَبِي وَ أُمِّي قَالَ الْوَالِدَانِ وَ ا

“I once said to abu al-Hassan, Musa (a.s.), that I pay Zakat to my relatives and give preference to certain ones among them over the others when it is time to pay Zakat. He (the Imam) asked, ’Are they deserving beneficiaries?’ I replied, ‘Yes, they deserve.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘They are better than others, you should

سَأَلَهُ‌[2] رَجُلٌ وَ أَنَا أَسْمَعُ قَالَ أُعْطِي قَرَابَتِي زَكَاةَ مَالِي وَ هُمْ لَا يَعْرِفُونَ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَا تُعْطِ الزَّكَاةَ إِلَّا مُسْلِماً وَ أَعْطِهِمْ مِنْ غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَ تَرَوْنَ أَنَّمَا فِي الْمَالِ الزَّكَاةُ وَحْدَهَا مَا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ فِي الْمَالِ مِنْ غَيْرِ الزَّكَاةِ أَكْثَرُ تُعْطِي‌[3] مِنْهُ الْقَرَابَةَ وَ الْمُعْتَرِضَ لَكَ مِمَّنْ يَسْأَلُكَ فَتُع

“Once someone asked him (the Imam) ‘Alayhi al-Salam, when I was hearing, saying, ‘Can I pay Zakat to my relatives and they do not know (this belief)? He (the Imam) said, ‘Do not pay Zakat to anyone who is not a Muslim, but give them from other things.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then said, ‘Do you think that Allah has made

سَأَلْتُ الرِّضَا ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ لَهُ قَرَابَةٌ وَ مَوَالِي وَ أَتْبَاعٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص وَ لَيْسَ يَعْرِفُونَ صَاحِبَ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ أَ يُعْطَوْنَ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ قَالَ لَا.

“I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), about a man who has relatives, friends and followers who love ’Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), but they do not acknowledge the owner of this issue (one who possesses Divine Authority) if he can give Zakat to them. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, he cannot give Zakat to them.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع الرَّجُلُ يَكُونُ لَهُ الزَّكَاةُ وَ لَهُ قَرَابَةٌ مُحْتَاجُونَ غَيْرُ عَارِفِينَ أَ يُعْطِيهِمْ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ فَقَالَ لَا وَ لَا كَرَامَةَ لَا يَجْعَلُ الزَّكَاةَ وِقَايَةً لِمَالِهِ يُعْطِيهِمْ مِنْ غَيْرِ الزَّكَاةِ إِنْ أَرَادَ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who owes Zakat and has needy relatives who do not know (one who possesses Divine Authority). ‘Can he give Zakat to them?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, he cannot give them and it is not an honor. He must not make Zakat to guard his assets. He can give them from his other asse

خَمْسَةٌ لَا يُعْطَوْنَ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ شَيْئاً الْأَبُ وَ الْأُمُّ وَ الْوَلَدُ وَ الْمَمْلُوكُ وَ الْمَرْأَةُ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُمْ عِيَالُهُ لَازِمُونَ لَهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Zakat cannot be given to five kinds of people: father, mother, children, slaves, and one’s wife, because they are one’s dependents for whom one must provide sustenance.’”

فِي الزَّكَاةِ يُعْطَى مِنْهَا الْأَخُ وَ الْأُخْتُ وَ الْعَمُّ وَ الْعَمَّةُ وَ الْخَالُ وَ الْخَالَةُ وَ لَا يُعْطَى الْجَدُّ وَ لَا الْجَدَّةُ.

‘Zakat can be given to one’s brother, sister, uncle, aunt (paternal and maternal); but it cannot be given to grandfather and grandmother.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع رَجُلٌ مِنْ مَوَالِيكَ لَهُ قَرَابَةٌ كُلُّهُمْ يَقُولُ بِكَ وَ لَهُ زَكَاةٌ أَ يَجُوزُ لَهُ أَنْ يُعْطِيَهُمْ جَمِيعَ زَكَاتِهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ.

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about a man who is one of your followers whose relatives all speak of you and he owes Zakat; can he pay all of his Zakat to them. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he can do so.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَضَعُ زَكَاتَهُ كُلَّهَا فِي أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ وَ هُمْ يَتَوَلَّوْنَكَ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ.

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about a man who pays all of his Zakat to his relatives who have accepted you as their Waliy (one who possesses Divine Authority). He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he can do so.’”

كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الثَّالِثِ ع أَنَّ لِي وُلْداً رِجَالًا وَ نِسَاءً أَ فَيَجُوزُ لِي أَنْ أُعْطِيَهُمْ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ شَيْئاً فَكَتَبَ ع أَنَّ ذَلِكَ جَائِزٌ لَكُمْ.

‘It is permissible for you.’”

سَأَلْتُ الصَّادِقَ ع أَدْفَعُ عُشْرَ مَالِي إِلَى وُلْدِ ابْنَتِي قَالَ نَعَمْ لَا بَأْسَ.

“I once asked al-Sadiq, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Can I give one out of ten of my asset to the children of my daughter? He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it is not harmful.’”