Chapter on the Reasons for the Obligation of Zakat

«إِنَّ اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَرَضَ اَلزَّكَاةَ كَمَا فَرَضَ اَلصَّلاَةَ فَلَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلاً حَمَلَ اَلزَّكَاةَ فَأَعْطَاهَا عَلاَنِيَةً لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَيْهِ فِي ذَلِكَ عَيْبٌ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَرَضَ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ فِي أَمْوَالِ اَلْأَغْنِيَاءِ مَا يَكْتَفُونَ بِهِ وَ لَوْ عَلِمَ أَنَّ اَلَّذِي فَرَضَ لَهُمْ لاَ يَكْفِيهِمْ لَزَادَهُمْ وَ إِنَّمَا يُؤْتَى اَلْفُقَرَاءُ فِيمَا أُوتُوا مِنْ مَن

"Indeed, Allah (swt), the Almighty and Majestic, has ordained Zakat just as He has ordained prayer. If a man were to carry the Zakat and give it openly, there would be no fault upon him in that, because Allah (swt), the Almighty and Majestic, has decreed for the poor in the wealth of the rich that which suffices them.

إِنَّمَا وُضِعَتِ الزَّكَاةُ قُوتاً لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَ تَوْفِيراً لِأَمْوَالِهِمْ‌[2].

"Zakat was established as sustenance for the poor and a means of increasing their wealth."

حَصِّنُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ بِالزَّكَاةِ[4].

"Protect your wealth through Zakat."

وَ رَوَى حَرِيزٌ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ وَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ‌ أَنَّهُمَا قَالا لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَ رَأَيْتَ قَوْلَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ‌[5] إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقاتُ لِلْفُقَراءِ وَ الْمَساكِينِ وَ الْعامِلِينَ عَلَيْها وَ الْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَ فِي الرِّقابِ وَ الْغارِمِينَ وَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَ ابْنِ السَّبِيلِ فَرِيضَةً مِنَ اللَّهِ‌[6]

Hadith.1577 - Hariz narrated from Zurara and Muhammad ibn Muslim that they both said to Abu Abdullah (as): "What do you say about the verse of Allah (swt) Almighty: ‘Indeed, alms are only for the poor, the needy, those employed to collect them, those whose hearts are to be reconciled, for freeing captives, for those in

لِعَمَّارِ بْنِ مُوسَى السَّابَاطِيِ يَا عَمَّارُ أَنْتَ رَبُّ مَالٍ كَثِيرٍ قَالَ نَعَمْ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَالَ فَتُؤَدِّي مَا افْتَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَتُخْرِجُ الْحَقَّ الْمَعْلُومَ مِنْ مَالِكَ[2] قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَتَصِلُ قَرَابَتَكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَتَصِلُ إِخْوَانَكَ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَقَالَ يَا عَمَّارُ إِنَّ الْمَالَ يَفْنَى وَ الْبَدَنَ يَبْلَى وَ الْعَمَلَ يَبْقَى

Hadith.1578 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said to Ammar ibn Musa al-Sabati: "O Ammar, you are a man of considerable wealth." Ammar replied: "Yes, may I be your ransom." Imam asked: "Do you fulfill what Allah (swt) has made obligatory upon you in terms of Zakat?" Ammar said: "Yes." Imam then asked: "Do you giv

قَالَ الصَّادِقُ ع‌ إِنَّمَا وُضِعَتِ الزَّكَاةُ اخْتِبَاراً لِلْأَغْنِيَاءِ وَ مَعُونَةً لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَ لَوْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ أَدَّوْا زَكَاةَ أَمْوَالِهِمْ مَا بَقِيَ مُسْلِمٌ فَقِيراً مُحْتَاجاً وَ لَاسْتَغْنَى بِمَا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهُ وَ إِنَّ النَّاسَ مَا افْتَقَرُوا وَ لَا احْتَاجُوا وَ لَا جَاعُوا وَ لَا عَرُوا إِلَّا بِذُنُوبِ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ وَ حَقِيقٌ عَلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَنْ يَمْنَع

Hadith.1579 - In a narration from Abu al-Husayn Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Asadi, may Allah (swt) be pleased with him, from Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Barmaki, from Abdullah ibn Ahmad, from al-Fadl ibn Isma'il, from Mu'attib, the servant of Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as): Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Za

اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى- لَتُبْلَوُنَ‌ فِي أَمْوالِكُمْ‌ وَ أَنْفُسِكُمْ‌ فِي أَمْوَالِكُمْ إِخْرَاجُ الزَّكَاةِ وَ فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ تَوْطِينُ الْأَنْفُسِ عَلَى الصَّبْرِ مَعَ مَا فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَدَاءِ شُكْرِ نِعَمِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ الطَّمَعِ فِي الزِّيَادَةِ مَعَ مَا فِيهِ مِنَ الزِّيَادَةِ وَ الرَّأْفَةِ وَ الرَّحْمَةِ لِأَهْلِ الضَّعْفِ‌[3] وَ الْعَطْفِ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْمَسْكَنَةِ وَ الْحَثِّ لَهُم

Hadith.1580 - Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha (as) wrote to Muhammad ibn Sinan in response to his questions: "The reason for the obligation of Zakat is to provide sustenance for the poor and to protect the wealth of the rich. Allah (swt), the Almighty and Majestic, has tasked the healthy with caring for those who are afflic

مَنْ أَخْرَجَ زَكَاةَ مَالِهِ تَامَّةً فَوَضَعَهَا فِي مَوْضِعِهَا لَمْ يُسْأَلْ مِنْ أَيْنَ اكْتَسَبَ مَالَهُ[1]

Hadith.1581 - Abu al-Hasan Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) said: "Whoever pays the full Zakat on his wealth and allocates it properly will not be questioned about how he earned his wealth."

إِنَّمَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ الزَّكَاةَ فِي كُلِّ أَلْفٍ خَمْسَةً وَ عِشْرِينَ دِرْهَماً لِأَنَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ فَعَلِمَ غَنِيَّهُمْ وَ فَقِيرَهُمْ وَ قَوِيَّهُمْ وَ ضَعِيفَهُمْ فَجَعَلَ مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ[2] خَمْسَةً وَ عِشْرِينَ مِسْكِيناً وَ لَوْ لَا ذَلِكَ لَزَادَهُمُ اللَّهُ لِأَنَّهُ خَالِقُهُمْ وَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ

Hadith.1582 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "Allah (swt), the Almighty and Majestic, has prescribed Zakat as twenty-five dirhams for every thousand because He created the creation and knew their wealthy and their poor, their strong and their weak. He allocated from every thousand an amount sufficient for