Book of Fasting
Chapter on Zakat Al-Fitrah
وَ رَوَى سَيْفُ بْنُ عَمِيرَةَ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ اَلرَّجُلُ لاَ يَكُونُ عِنْدَهُ شَيْءٌ مِنَ اَلْفِطْرَةِ إِلاَّ مَا يُؤَدِّي عَنْ نَفْسِهِ وَحْدَهَا أَ يُعْطِيهِ عَنْهَا أَوْ يَأْكُلُ هُوَ وَ عِيَالُهُ قَالَ «يُعْطِي بَعْضَ عِيَالِهِ ثُمَّ يُعْطِي اَلْآخَرُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ يُرَدِّدُونَهَا بَيْنَهُمْ فَتَكُونُ عَنْهُمْ جَمِيعاً فِطْرَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ ».
It is narrated from Saif ibn Amirah, from Ishaq ibn Ammar, who said: "I asked Abu Abdullah (a.s): 'A man has nothing for Zakat al-Fitr except enough to pay for himself alone. Should he give it for himself, or should he use it for himself and his family?' Imam (a.s) replied: 'He should give it to some of his family, and then that person gives it on behalf of another, passing it among themselves, so that it counts as Zakat al-Fitr for all of them collectively.'"
وَ رَوَى اَلْحَسَنُ بْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنِ اَلرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ عِنْدَهُ اَلضَّيْفُ مِنْ إِخْوَانِهِ فَيَحْضُرُ يَوْمُ اَلْفِطْرِ يُؤَدِّي عَنْهُ اَلْفِطْرَةَ فَقَالَ «نَعَمْ اَلْفِطْرَةُ وَاجِبَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مَنْ يَعُولُ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى صَغِيرٍ أَوْ كَبِيرٍ حُرٍّ أَوْ مَمْلُوكٍ ».
It is narrated from Al-Hasan ibn Mahbub, from Umar ibn Yazid, who said: "I asked Abu Abdullah (a.s) about a man who has a guest from among his brethren staying with him when the Day of Eid al-Fitr arrives. Should he pay Zakat al-Fitr on his behalf?" Imam (a.s) replied: "Yes, Zakat al-Fitr is obligatory for everyone he supports, whether male or female, young or old, free or enslaved."
وَ رَوَى إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: «لاَ بَأْسَ أَنْ يُعْطِيَ اَلرَّجُلُ اَلرَّجُلَ عَنْ رَأْسَيْنِ وَ ثَلاَثَةٍ وَ أَرْبَعَةٍ يَعْنِي اَلْفِطْرَةَ.
It is narrated from Ishaq ibn Ammar, from Abu Abdullah (a.s), who said: "There is no harm if a man gives Zakat al-Fitr on behalf of two, three, or even four individuals."
وَ فِي خَبَرٍ آخَرَ قَالَ: «لاَ بَأْسَ بِأَنْ تَدْفَعَ عَنْ نَفْسِكَ وَ عَنْ مَنْ تَعُولُ إِلَى وَاحِدٍ».
In another narration, it is said: "There is no harm in giving Zakat al-Fitr for yourself and those you support to a single recipient."
رَوَى ذَلِكَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: فِي اَلْمَوْلُودِ يُولَدُ لَيْلَةَ اَلْفِطْرِ وَ اَلْيَهُودِيِّ وَ اَلنَّصْرَانِيِّ يُسْلِمُ لَيْلَةَ اَلْفِطْرِ قَالَ «لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِمْ فِطْرَةٌ لَيْسَ اَلْفِطْرَةُ إِلاَّ عَلَى مَنْ أَدْرَكَ اَلشَّهْرَ».
It is narrated by Ali ibn Abi Hamzah, from Mu'awiyah ibn Ammar, from Abu Abdullah (a.s), regarding a child born on the night of Eid al-Fitr or a Jew or Christian who converts to Islam on the night of Eid al-Fitr. Imam (a.s) said: "There is no Zakat al-Fitr upon them. Zakat al-Fitr is only obligatory on those who have completed the month (i.e., were present during Month of Ramadan)."
وَ رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بِلاَلٍ قَالَ: كَتَبْتُ إِلَى اَلطَّيِّبِ اَلْعَسْكَرِيِّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ هَلْ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُعْطَى اَلْفِطْرَةُ عَنْ عِيَالِ اَلرَّجُلِ وَ هُمْ عَشَرَةٌ أَقَلُّ أَوْ أَكْثَرُ رَجُلاً مُحْتَاجاً مُوَافِقاً فَكَتَبَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ «نَعَمِ اِفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ ».
It is narrated by Muhammad ibn Isa, from Ali ibn Bilal, who said: "I wrote to Al-Tayyib Al-Askari (a.s), asking: 'Is it permissible to give the Zakat al-Fitr for a man's dependents, whether they are ten or fewer or more, to one needy and deserving person?' Imam (a.s) wrote in reply: 'Yes, do that.'"
وَ سَأَلَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ أَخَاهُ مُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنِ اَلْمُكَاتَبِ هَلْ عَلَيْهِ فِطْرَةُ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ أَوْ عَلَى مَنْ كَاتَبَهُ وَ تَجُوزُ شَهَادَتُهُ قَالَ «اَلْفِطْرَةُ عَلَيْهِ وَ لاَ تَجُوزُ شَهَادَتُهُ.
Ali ibn Ja'far asked his brother Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (a.s) about a mukatab (a slave who has a contract to earn their freedom): "Is Zakat al-Fitr obligatory upon the mukatab or upon the one who wrote the contract of emancipation for him? And is his testimony valid?" Imam (a.s) replied: "Zakat al-Fitr is obligatory upon him (the mukatab), but his testimony is not valid."
وَ كَتَبَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ اَلْقَاسِمِ بْنِ اَلْفُضَيْلِ إِلَى أَبِي اَلْحَسَنِ اَلرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: يَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ اَلْمَمْلُوكِ يَمُوتُ عَنْهُ مَوْلاَهُ وَ هُوَ عَنْهُ غَائِبٌ فِي بَلْدَةٍ أُخْرَى وَ فِي يَدِهِ مَالٌ لِمَوْلاَهُ وَ يَحْضُرُ اَلْفِطْرُ أَ يُزَكِّي عَنْ نَفْسِهِ مِنْ مَالِ مَوْلاَهُ وَ قَدْ صَارَ لِلْيَتَامَى فَقَالَ «نَعَمْ ».
Muhammad ibn Al-Qasim ibn Al-Fudhayl wrote to Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ridha (a.s), asking: "A slave’s master dies while the slave is away in another town, and the slave has money belonging to his deceased master. When Eid al-Fitr arrives, should the slave pay Zakat al-Fitr for himself from the money of his master, which has now passed to the orphans?" Imam (a.s) replied: "Yes."
وَ قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «لَأَنْ أُعْطِيَ فِي اَلْفِطْرَةِ صَاعاً مِنْ تَمْرٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُعْطِيَ صَاعاً مِنْ تِبْرٍ.
Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) said: "To give one sa' (measure) of dates for Zakat al-Fitr is more beloved to me than giving one sa' of gold."
وَ رَوَى عَنْهُ هِشَامُ بْنُ اَلْحَكَمِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «اَلتَّمْرُ فِي اَلْفِطْرَةِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ لِأَنَّهُ أَسْرَعُ مَنْفَعَةً وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ إِذَا وَقَعَ فِي يَدِ صَاحِبِهِ أَكَلَ مِنْهُ» قَالَ «وَ نَزَلَتِ اَلزَّكَاةُ وَ لَيْسَ لِلنَّاسِ أَمْوَالٌ وَ إِنَّمَا كَانَتِ اَلْفِطْرَةُ.
It is narrated from Hisham ibn Al-Hakam, from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s), who said: "Dates are preferred for Zakat al-Fitr over other items because they are of quicker benefit. When they reach the hands of the recipient, they can immediately eat from them." Imam (a.s) added: "Zakat was revealed at a time when people did not have much wealth; thus, Zakat al-Fitr was established."
