Who Can Lawfully Receive Zakat and Who Cannot

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ يَأْخُذُ الزَّكَاةَ صَاحِبُ السَّبْعِمِائَةِ إِذَا لَمْ يَجِدْ غَيْرَهُ قُلْتُ فَإِنَّ صَاحِبَ السَّبْعِمِائَةِ تَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ الزَّكَاةُ قَالَ زَكَاتُهُ صَدَقَةٌ عَلَى عِيَالِهِ‌[1] وَ لَا يَأْخُذُهَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ إِذَا اعْتَمَدَ عَلَى السَّبْعِمِائَةِ أَنْفَدَهَا فِي أَقَلَّ مِنْ سَنَةٍ فَهَذَا يَأْخُذُهَا وَ لَا تَحِلُّ الزَّكَاةُ لِمَنْ كَانَ مُحْتَرِفاً وَ عِنْدَه

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘One who has seven hundred has permission to receive Zakat if no one other than him can be found.’ I then asked, ‘Does the one who owns seven hundred owe Zakat? He (the Imam) said, ‘His Zakat is charity for his dependents and he must not receive charity (Zakat) except if he dep

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ الصَّدَقَةَ لَا تَحِلُّ لِمُحْتَرِفٍ وَ لَا لِذِي مِرَّةٍ سَوِيٍّ قَوِيٍّ فَتَنَزَّهُوا عَنْهَا.

“I once heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.), saying, ‘Charity (Zakat) is not lawful for those who have an established profession or a resourceful one who is capable and strong, so keep yourselves clean from receiving charity (Zakat).”’

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا لَهُ ثَمَانُمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ وَ هُوَ رَجُلٌ خَفَّافٌ وَ لَهُ عِيَالٌ كَثِيرَةٌ أَ لَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَ يَرْبَحُ فِي دَرَاهِمِهِ مَا يَقُوتُ بِهِ عِيَالَهُ وَ يَفْضُلُ قَالَ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ كَمْ يَفْضُلُ قُلْتُ لَا أَدْرِي قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ يَفْضُلُ عَنِ الْقُوتِ مِقْدَارُ نِصْفِ الْقُوتِ فَلَا يَأْخُذِ الزَّك

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a certain person of our people who has eight hundred dirham, works with pumice, and has a large family to feed, if he can receive Zakat. He (the Imam) asked, ‘O abu Muhammad, can he earn with his dirham the expenses of his family with a certain amount of saving?’ I

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الزَّكَاةِ هَلْ تَصْلُحُ لِصَاحِبِ الدَّارِ وَ الْخَادِمِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ دَارُهُ دَارَ غَلَّةٍ فَيَخْرُجَ لَهُ مِنْ غَلَّتِهَا دَرَاهِمُ مَا يَكْفِيهِ لِنَفْسِهِ وَ عِيَالِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنِ الْغَلَّةُ- تَكْفِيهِ لِنَفْسِهِ وَ عِيَالِهِ فِي طَعَامِهِمْ وَ كِسْوَتِهِمْ وَ حَاجَتِهِمْ مِنْ غَيْرِ إِسْرَافٍ فَقَدْ حَلَّتْ لَهُ الزَّكَاةُ فَإِنْ كَانَتْ غَلَّتُه

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about Zakat if it can be paid to one who has a house and servants. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, unless his house is income-producing from which he earns dirham which is enough for his expenses and the expenses of his family. If such income is not enough for his expenses and the expense

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ أَبُوهُ أَوْ عَمُّهُ أَوْ أَخُوهُ يَكْفِيهِ مَئُونَتَهُ أَ يَأْخُذُ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ فَيَتَوَسَّعَ بِهِ إِنْ كَانُوا لَا يُوَسِّعُونَ عَلَيْهِ فِي كُلِّ مَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ.

about a man whose father or uncle or brother provides his expenses, if he can receive Zakat to facilitate himself further, in case they do not provide enough facilities in all the things that he needs? He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ لَهُ ثَلَاثُمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ أَوْ أَرْبَعُمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ وَ لَهُ عِيَالٌ وَ هُوَ يَحْتَرِفُ فَلَا يُصِيبُ نَفَقَتَهُ فِيهَا أَ يُكِبُّ فَيَأْكُلَهَا وَ لَا يَأْخُذَ الزَّكَاةَ أَوْ يَأْخُذُ الزَّكَاةَ قَالَ لَا بَلْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى فَضْلِهَا فَيَقُوتُ بِهَا نَفْسَهُ وَ مَنْ وَسِعَهُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عِيَالِهِ وَ يَأْخُذُ الْبَقِيَّةَ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ وَ يَتَصَرَّفُ بِ

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who has three hundred or four hundred dirham. He has a family to feed and has a profession that he practices but he cannot earn his expenses. Is he required to restrict himself within what he earns, and not to receive Zakat, or that he can receive Zakat also. He (the Ima

نَعَمْ إِنَّ الدَّارَ وَ الْخَادِمَ لَيْسَتَا بِمَالٍ.

“Abu Ja‘far, and abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, were asked if a man who has a house and servant can receive Zakat. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he can receive Zakat, because house and servant are not wealth.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع رَجُلٌ لَهُ ثَمَانُمِائَةِ دِرْهَمٍ وَ لِابْنٍ لَهُ مِائَتَا دِرْهَمٍ وَ لَهُ عَشْرٌ مِنَ الْعِيَالِ وَ هُوَ يَقُوتُهُمْ فِيهَا قُوتاً شَدِيداً وَ لَيْسَ لَهُ حِرْفَةٌ بِيَدِهِ وَ إِنَّمَا يَسْتَبْضِعُهَا[1] فَتَغِيبُ عَنْهُ الْأَشْهُرَ ثُمَّ يَأْكُلُ مِنْ فَضْلِهَا أَ تَرَى لَهُ إِذَا حَضَرَتِ الزَّكَاةُ أَنْ يُخْرِجَهَا مِنْ مَالِهِ فَيَعُودَ بِهَا عَلَى عِيَالِهِ‌[2] يُسْبِغُ عَلَيْ

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who has eight hundred dirham, his son has two hundred dirham. He has ten dependents to feed. He lives with difficulty and does not have any profession. He only uses his dirham as capital to earn his living. It remains idle for months. He uses his savings for his expenses

قَدْ تَحِلُّ الزَّكَاةُ لِصَاحِبِ السَّبْعِمِائَةِ وَ تَحْرُمُ عَلَى صَاحِبِ الْخَمْسِينَ دِرْهَماً فَقُلْتُ لَهُ وَ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ هَذَا فَقَالَ إِذَا كَانَ صَاحِبُ السَّبْعِمِائَةِ لَهُ عِيَالٌ كَثِيرٌ فَلَوْ قَسَمَهَا بَيْنَهُمْ لَمْ تَكْفِهِ فَلْيُعِفَّ عَنْهَا نَفْسُهُ وَ لْيَأْخُذْهَا لِعِيَالِهِ وَ أَمَّا صَاحِبُ الْخَمْسِينَ فَإِنَّهُ يَحْرُمُ عَلَيْهِ إِذَا كَانَ وَحْدَهُ وَ هُوَ مُحْتَرِفٌ يَعْمَلُ بِهَا وَ

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Sometimes it is lawful for one who has seven hundred dirham to receive Zakat but it is unlawful for one who has fifty dirham.’ I then asked, ‘How can that happen?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Sometimes the owner of seven hundred may have a large family to feed and it is not enough for them,

دَخَلْتُ أَنَا وَ أَبُو بَصِيرٍ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو بَصِيرٍ إِنَّ لَنَا صَدِيقاً وَ هُوَ رَجُلٌ صَدُوقٌ يَدِينُ اللَّهَ بِمَا نَدِينُ بِهِ فَقَالَ مَنْ هَذَا يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ الَّذِي تُزَكِّيهِ فَقَالَ الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ صَبِيحٍ فَقَالَ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ الْوَلِيدَ بْنَ صَبِيحٍ مَا لَهُ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ لَهُ دَارٌ تَسْوَى أَرْبَعَةَ آلَافِ دِرْهَمٍ و

10. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ’Isma‘il ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz from his father who has said the following: “Once, abu Basir and I visited abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and abu Basir said to him (the Imam), ‘We have a friend and he is a truthful person. He follows Allah’s religion as we do.’ He (the Imam) ask

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ لَهُ الدَّرَاهِمُ يَعْمَلُ بِهَا وَ قَدْ وَجَبَ عَلَيْهِ فِيهَا الزَّكَاةُ وَ يَكُونُ فَضْلُهُ الَّذِي يَكْسِبُ بِمَالِهِ كَفَافَ عِيَالِهِ لِطَعَامِهِمْ وَ كِسْوَتِهِمْ لَا يَسَعُهُ لِأُدُمِهِمْ وَ إِنَّمَا هُوَ مَا يَقُوتُهُمْ فِي الطَّعَامِ وَ الْكِسْوَةِ قَالَ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إِلَى زَكَاةِ مَالِهِ ذَلِكَ فَلْيُخْرِجْ مِنْهَا شَيْئاً قَلَّ أَوْ كَثُرَ فَيُعْطِيهِ بَعْضَ مَنْ تَحِلُّ

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who has a certain number of dirham which he uses in business, Zakat has become obligatory on him and his savings are enough for the expenses of his family, like food and clothes but not for cooking curry. It is only for their food and clothes. He (the Imam) said, ‘He wai

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَرْوُونَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ص أَنَّ الصَّدَقَةَ لَا تَحِلُّ لِغَنِيٍّ وَ لَا لِذِي مِرَّةٍ سَوِيٍ‌[1] فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع لَا تَصْلُحُ لِغَنِيٍّ.

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘They narrate from the Holy prophet, “Charity (Zakat) is not lawful for the rich people, or resourceful strong ones.’” Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said, ‘It is not proper for the rich people.’”

قُلْتُ لَهُ مَا يُعْطَى الْمُصَدِّقُ قَالَ مَا يَرَى الْإِمَامُ وَ لَا يُقَدَّرُ لَهُ شَيْ‌ءٌ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about how much is paid to Zakat collector. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is whatever the Imam deems proper. There is nothing definite about it.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع رَجُلٌ مُسْلِمٌ مَمْلُوكٌ وَ مَوْلَاهُ رَجُلٌ مُسْلِمٌ وَ لَهُ مَالٌ يُزَكِّيهِ وَ لِلْمَمْلُوكِ وَلَدٌ صَغِيرٌ حُرٌّ أَ يُجْزِئُ مَوْلَاهُ أَنْ يُعْطِيَ ابْنَ عَبْدِهِ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ.

The slave has a small child who is free. Can the master pay Zakat to the child of his slave? He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

سَأَلْتُهُ‌[2] عَنْ شَارِبِ الْخَمْرِ يُعْطَى مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ شَيْئاً قَالَ لَا.

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), if Zakat can be given to one who consumes wine. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, Zakat cannot be given to such person.”