Ashburn , US
19-03-2024 |10 Ramaḍān 1445 AH

Alms-Tax (Zakat)

Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, 'The prayer of one who does not give the alms-tax is void, and the alms-tax of the impious is void.’

الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لا صلاةَ لِمَن لا زكاةَ لَهُ ، ولا زكاةَ لِمَن لا وَرَعَ لَهُ.

Reference: [Mishkat al-Anwar, no. 46]

Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, 'The alms-tax has been prescribed as a test for the rich and an aid to the poor. If people duly paid the alms-tax on their wealth, there would not remain a single poor or needy Muslim, and all would suffice themselves through what Allah has prescribed. Verily people are only impoverished, needy, hungry and naked as a result of the sins of the wealthy.’

الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنّما وُضِعَتِ الزَّكاةُ اِختِباراً للأغنِياءِ ومَعُونَةً لِلفُقَراءِ ، ولَو أنَّ الناسَ أدَّوا زكاةَ أموالِهِم ما بَقِيَ مسلمٌ فَقيراً مُحتاجاً، ولاَسْتَغني بما فَرَضَ اللّه‏ُ عزّوجلّ لَهُ ، وإنّ الناسَ ما افتَقَرُوا ، ولا احتاجُوا ، ولا جاعُوا ، ولا عَرُوا إلّا بِذُنوبِ الأغنياءِ .

Reference: [al-Faqih, v. 2, p. 7, no. 1579]

Description: The Prophet (S) said, 'If you want Allah to enrich your wealth then give the alms-tax from it.’

رسولُ اللّٰهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): إذا أرَدتَ أن يُثرِيَ اللّه‏ُ مالَكَ فَزَكِّهِ.

Reference: [Bihar al-Anwar, v. 96, p. 23, no. 54]

Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, 'Strengthen your capital by paying the alms-tax.

الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): حَصِّنُوا أموالَكُم بالزَّكاةِ.

Reference: ’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 60, no. 138]

Description: Imam al-Hasan (a.s.) said, 'The giving of the alms-tax never diminishes wealth.

الإمامُ الحسنُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ما نَقَصَتْ زكاةٌ مِن مالٍ قَطُّ.

Reference: ’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 96, p. 23, no. 56]

Description: Imam al-Baqir (a.s.) narrated, 'We found the following written in the book of the Prophet (S): …When the alms-tax is withheld, the earth withholds all its yield of plants, fruits and minerals.’

الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): وَجَدنا في كتابِ رسولِ‏اللّه‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) ... إذا مَنَعُوا الزَّكاةَ مَنَعَتِ الأرضُ بَرَكَتَها مِنَ الزَّرعِ والثِّمارِ والمَعادِنِ كُلِّها.

Reference: [al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 374, no. 2]

Description: Imam al-Kazim (a.s.) said, 'Verily Allah has fixed the alms-tax as a provision for the poor and a proliferation of your wealth.’

الإمامُ الكاظمُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنّ اللّه‏َ عزّوجلّ وَضَعَ الزَّكاةَ قُوتاً للفُقَراءِ وتَوفِيرا لِأموالِكُم .

Reference: [al-Kafi, v. 3, p. 498, no. 6]

Description: Imam Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) said, 'When the alms-tax is not paid, livestock die as a result.

الإمامُ الرِّضا (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إذا حُبِسَتِ الزَّكاةُ ماتَتِ المَواشِي .

Reference: ’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 73, p. 373, no. 8]

Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, 'Those who refuse to pay the alms-tax ask to be returned to the world at the time of death, as per Allah's verse in the Qur’an: "When death comes to one of them, he says, 'My Lord! Take me back, that I may act righteously in what I have left behind.”[Qur’an 23:99]

الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَن مَنَعَ الزَّكاةَ سَألَ الرَّجعَةَ عندَ المَوتِ، وهُو قولُ اللّه‏ِ عزّوجلّ: «حَتّي إذا جاءَ أحَدَهُمُ المَوْتُ قالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ لَعَلِّي أعْمَلُ صالِحا فيما تَرَكْتُ».

Reference: ’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 96, p. 21,22,29,]

Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, 'There are three types of people that are considered thieves: the one who refuses to pay the alms-tax, the one who spends his wife's dowry unlawfully, and the one who takes a loan with no intention to repay it.’

الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): السُّرّاقُ ثلاثةٌ: مانعُ الزَّكاةِ ، ومُستَحِلُّ مُهُورِ النِّساءِ ، وكذلكَ مَنِ استَدانَ ولَم يَنوِ قَضاءَهُ.

Reference: [Bihar al-Anwar, p. 12, no. 15]

Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, 'He who refuses to pay [as meagre an amount as] a sixteen of a dirham in alms-tax may as well die a Jew or a Christian.’

الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَن مَنَعَ قِيراطاً مِنَ الزَّكاةِ فَلْيَمُتْ إن شاءَ يَهُوديّاً وإن شاءَ نَصرانيّاً.

Reference: [Thawab al-A’amal, p. 281, no. 7]

Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.), with regards to Allah's verse in the Qur’an: "Charities are only for the poor..." [Qur’an 9:60], said, 'The poor man is he who does not beg from people [despite his poverty], the destitute lives in even harsher conditions than him, and the wretched one lives in the most straitened circumstances of all.’

الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ في قولِهِ تعالي: «إنّما الصَّدَقاتُ للفُقَراءِ ...» ـ: الفَقيرُ الذي لا يَسأ لُ الناسَ ، والمِسكينُ أجهَدُ مِنهُ ، والبائسُ أجهَدُهُم.

Reference: [al-Kafi, v. 3, p. 501, no. 16]

Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, 'The zakat of power is equity.

الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): زكاةُ القُدرَةِ ، الإنصافُ .

Reference: ’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 5448]

Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, 'The zakat of beauty is chastity.

لإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): زكاةُ الجَمالِ ، العَفافُ .

Reference: ’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 5449]

Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, 'The zakat of prosperity is goodness to one's neighbours and maintaining relations with one's kin.

الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): زكاةُ اليَسارِ ، بِرُّ الجِيرانِ وصِلَةُ الأرحامِ .

Reference: ’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 5453]

Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, 'The zakat of health is exerting oneself in Allah's obedience.’

الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): زكاةُ الصِّحَّةِ ، السَّعيُ في طاعَةِ اللّه‏ِ.

Reference: [Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 5454]

Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, 'The zakat of courage is fighting in the way of Allah.

الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): زكاةُ الشَّجاعةِ ، الجِهادُ في سبيلِ اللّه‏ِ.

Reference: ’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 5455]

Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, 'Fast, for that is the zakat of the body.’

الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): علَيكَ بالصَّومِ ؛ فَإنّهُ زكاةُ البَدَنِ.

Reference: [Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 99, no. 1]

Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, 'Good moral conduct is the zakat of bounties, intercession is the zakat of high status, ailments are the zakat of the body, amnesty is the zakat of victory, and all that you give out zakat on is protected from being snatched away from you.’

الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): المَعروفُ زكاةُ النِّعَمِ ، والشَّفاعةُ زكاةُ الجاهِ ، والعِلَلُ زكاةُ الأبدانِ ، والعَفوُ زَكاةُ الظَّفَرِ ، وما أدّيتَ زكاتَهُ فهُو مَأمونُ السَّلْبِ .

Reference: [Bihar al-Anwar, p. 268, no. 182]

Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, 'He who pays the obligatory alms-tax at the end of Ramadhan, Allah uses it to make up for any deficit in the alms-tax paid on his wealth.’

الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَن أدّي زكاةَ الفِطرَةِ تَمَّمَ اللّه‏ُ لَهُ بها ما نَقَصَ مِن زكاةِ مالِهِ .

Reference: [Wasa’il al-Shi’ah, v. 6, p. 220, no. 4]

Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, 'Giving the alms-tax at the end of the month of Ramadhan constitutes fasting just as sending blessings on the Prophet (S) at the end of the prayer completes and constitutes the prayer. Verily the one who fasts and yet intentionally does not pay the alms-tax due, his fasting is invalid.

الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنّ مِن تَمامِ الصَّومِ إعطاءَ الزَّكاةِ ـ يعني الفِطرَةَ ـ كما أنَّ الصَّلاةَ علي النبِيّ (صَلَّيَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) مِن تَمامِ الصّلاةِ ، لأ نّه مَن صامَ ولَم يُؤَدِّ الزَّكاةَ فلا صَومَ لَهُ إذا تَرَكَها مُتَعَمِّداً.

Reference: ’[al-Faqih, v. 2, p. 183,no. 2085]