A Person’s Performing Hajj and so on with Zakat He Has Received

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع رَجُلٌ يُعْطِي الرَّجُلَ مِنْ زَكَاةِ مَالِهِ يَحُجُّ بِهَا قَالَ مَالُ الزَّكَاةِ يُحَجُّ بِهِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّهُ رَجُلٌ مُسْلِمٌ أَعْطَى رَجُلًا مُسْلِماً فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ مُحْتَاجاً فَلْيُعْطِهِ لِحَاجَتِهِ وَ فَقْرِهِ وَ لَا يَقُولُ لَهُ حُجَّ بِهَا يَصْنَعُ بِهَا بَعْدُ مَا يَشَاءُ.

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who gives Zakat to a man to perform Hajj. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is Zakat money and he performs Hajj!’ I then said, ‘It is a Muslim man who gives Zakat to a Muslim man.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘If he is needy, Zakat must be given to him for his needs and poverty, and one m

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَجْتَمِعُ عِنْدَهُ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ الْخَمْسُمِائَةِ وَ السِّتُّمِائَةِ يَشْتَرِي بِهَا نَسَمَةً وَ يُعْتِقُهَا[1] فَقَالَ إِذاً يَظْلِمَ قَوْماً آخَرِينَ حُقُوقَهُمْ ثُمَّ مَكَثَ مَلِيّاً ثُمَّ قَالَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ عَبْداً مُسْلِماً فِي ضَرُورَةٍ فَيَشْتَرِيَهُ وَ يُعْتِقَهُ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who saves from Zakat five hundred or six hundred to buy a slave and set him free. He (the Imam) said, ‘So he does injustice to another group of people.’ He (the Imam) remained quiet for a while, then said, ‘However, if the slave is a Muslim in great need, then he can buy

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ أَخْرَجَ زَكَاةَ مَالِهِ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ فَلَمْ يَجِدْ مَوْضِعاً يَدْفَعُ ذَلِكَ إِلَيْهِ فَنَظَرَ إِلَى مَمْلُوكٍ يُبَاعُ فِيمَنْ يُرِيدُهُ فَاشْتَرَاهُ بِتِلْكَ الْأَلْفِ الدِّرْهَمِ الَّتِي أَخْرَجَهَا مِنْ زَكَاتِهِ فَأَعْتَقَهُ هَلْ يَجُوزُ لَهُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ لَا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ قُلْتُ فَإِنَّهُ لَمَّا أَنْ أُعْتِقَ وَ صَارَ حُرّاً اتَّجَرَ وَ احْتَرَفَ وَ أَصَاب

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who wants to pay Zakat of his asset which is one thousand dirham but cannot find a deserving beneficiary. He then sees a slave for sale, buys him with those thousand dirhams, and sets him free. Was his act permissible? He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it is permissible and it i