Sending Zakat from one Place to Other Places . . .

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع رَجُلٌ بَعَثَ بِزَكَاةِ مَالِهِ لِتُقْسَمَ فَضَاعَتْ هَلْ عَلَيْهِ ضَمَانُهَا حَتَّى تُقْسَمَ فَقَالَ إِذَا وَجَدَ لَهَا مَوْضِعاً فَلَمْ يَدْفَعْهَا فَهُوَ لَهَا ضَامِنٌ حَتَّى يَدْفَعَهَا وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ لَهَا مَنْ يَدْفَعُهَا إِلَيْهِ فَبَعَثَ بِهَا إِلَى أَهْلِهَا فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ ضَمَانٌ لِأَنَّهَا قَدْ خَرَجَتْ مِنْ يَدِهِ وَ كَذَلِكَ الْوَصِيُّ الَّذِي يُوصَى إِلَيْهِ يَكُو

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who sends his Zakat for distribution but it is lost. Is he held responsible until it is distributed? He (the Imam) said, ‘If he had found a proper beneficiary and did not pay, he is held responsible until he pays it; but if he did not find proper beneficiary thus, sent i

إِذَا أَخْرَجَ الرَّجُلُ الزَّكَاةَ مِنْ مَالِهِ ثُمَّ سَمَّاهَا لِقَوْمٍ فَضَاعَتْ أَوْ أَرْسَلَ بِهَا إِلَيْهِمْ فَضَاعَتْ فَلَا شَيْ‌ءَ عَلَيْهِ.

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘If one takes out his Zakat and assigns it to be paid to a people but it is lost, or he sends it to them and it is lost, he is not held responsible.’”

إِذَا أَخْرَجَهَا مِنْ مَالِهِ فَذَهَبَتْ وَ لَمْ يُسَمِّهَا لِأَحَدٍ فَقَدْ بَرِئَ مِنْهَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one takes away Zakat from his assets but does not name the beneficiary and it is lost, he is free from his obligation.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ بَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ أَخٌ‌ لَهُ زَكَاتَهُ لِيَقْسِمَهَا فَضَاعَتْ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ عَلَى الرَّسُولِ وَ لَا عَلَى الْمُؤَدِّي ضَمَانٌ قُلْتُ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَجِدْ لَهَا أَهْلًا فَفَسَدَتْ وَ تَغَيَّرَتْ أَ يَضْمَنُهَا قَالَ لَا وَ لَكِنْ إِنْ عَرَفَ لَهَا أَهْلًا فَعَطِبَتْ أَوْ فَسَدَتْ فَهُوَ لَهَا ضَامِنٌ حَتَّى يُخْرِجَهَا.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man whose brother sends his Zakat to distribute among beneficiaries but it is lost. He (the Imam) said, ‘The messenger is not responsible as well as the payer.’ I then asked, ‘If he does not find the beneficiary and it is spoiled or changed, is he responsible?’ He (the Imam)

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَبْعَثُ بِزَكَاتِهِ فَتُسْرَقُ أَوْ تَضِيعُ قَالَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ.

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about a man who sends his Zakat but it is stolen or destroyed. He (the Imam) said, ‘He does not owe anything.’”

فِي الزَّكَاةِ يَبْعَثُ بِهَا الرَّجُلُ إِلَى بَلَدٍ غَيْرِ بَلَدِهِ قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ الثُّلُثَ أَوِ الرُّبُعَ شَكَّ أَبُو أَحْمَدَ[1].

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who sends his Zakat from one town to another town. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful to send one-third or one-fourth (uncertainty is from narrator).”’

فِي الرَّجُلِ يُعْطَى الزَّكَاةَ يَقْسِمُهَا أَ لَهُ أَنْ يُخْرِجَ الشَّيْ‌ءَ مِنْهَا مِنَ الْبَلْدَةِ الَّتِي هُوَ فِيهَا إِلَى غَيْرِهَا قَالَ لَا بَأْسَ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who gives Zakat for distribution, if he can take a certain amount to another place? He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.”

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص يَقْسِمُ صَدَقَةَ أَهْلِ الْبَوَادِي فِي أَهْلِ الْبَوَادِي وَ صَدَقَةَ أَهْلِ الْحَضَرِ فِي أَهْلِ الْحَضَرِ وَ لَا يَقْسِمُهَا بَيْنَهُمْ بِالسَّوِيَّةِ إِنَّمَا يَقْسِمُهَا عَلَى قَدْرِ مَا يَحْضُرُهُ مِنْهُمْ وَ مَا يَرَى لَيْسَ فِي ذَلِكَ شَيْ‌ءٌ مُوَقَّتٌ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah would distribute Zakat of the Bedouins among the Bedouins and Zakat of the town dwellers among the town dwellers. He would not distribute it among them in equal amounts, instead he would distribute it among those present without considering anything definite

كُنَّا مَعَ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ فَأَتَاهُ عَمْرُو بْنُ إِلْيَاسَ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ إِنَّ أَخِي بِحَلَبَ بَعَثَ إِلَيَّ بِمَالٍ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ أَقْسِمُهُ بِالْكُوفَةِ فَقُطِعَ عَلَيْهِ الطَّرِيقُ فَهَلْ عِنْدَكَ فِيهِ رِوَايَةٌ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنْ هَذِهِ الْمَسْأَلَةِ وَ لَمْ أَظُنَّ أَنَّ أَحَداً يَسْأَلُنِي عَنْهَا أَبَداً فَقُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ الرَّجُلُ يَب

“Once we were with abu Basir when ‘Amr ibn ’Ilyas came to him and said, ‘O abu Muhammad, my brother from Halab has sent to me a certain amount of goods of Zakat so I distribute in al-Kufah, but it was looted on the way. Do you have any Hadith about it?’ He said, ‘Yes, I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about this issue an

لَا تَحِلُّ صَدَقَةُ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ لِلْأَعْرَابِ وَ لَا صَدَقَةُ الْأَعْرَابِ لِلْمُهَاجِرِينَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Zakat of immigrants (converts to piety and religion) is not lawful for Arabs and the charity (Zakat) of Arabs is not lawful for immigrants.’”

سَأَلَ الْمَدَائِنِيُّ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ إِنَّ لَنَا زَكَاةً نُخْرِجُهَا مِنْ أَمْوَالِنَا فَفِي مَنْ نَضَعُهَا فَقَالَ فِي أَهْلِ وَلَايَتِكَ فَقَالَ إِنِّي فِي بِلَادٍ لَيْسَ فِيهَا أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَوْلِيَائِكَ فَقَالَ ابْعَثْ بِهَا إِلَى بَلَدِهِمْ تُدْفَعُ إِلَيْهِمْ وَ لَا تَدْفَعْهَا إِلَى قَوْمٍ إِنْ دَعَوْتَهُمْ غَداً إِلَى أَمْرِكَ لَمْ يُجِيبُوكَ وَ كَانَ وَ اللَّهِ الذَّبْحُ.[1]

“Once al-Mada’iniy asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), and said, ‘There is Zakat on our assets. To whom should we pay it? He (the Imam) said, ‘Pay it to the people of your Wilayah, people who believe in (the Divine Authority of ’A’immah).’ He said, ‘There is no one of your followers.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Send it to where they ar