Book of Fasting
Chapter on Zakat Al-Fitrah
2072 - 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.
Hadith.2072 - Ali ibn Ja'far asked his brother Imam Musa ibn Jafar Al-Kadhim (as) 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 (as) replied: "Zakat al-Fitr is obligatory upon him (the mukatab), but his testimony is not valid."
2073 - 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 ».
Hadith.2073 - Muhammad ibn Al-Qasim ibn Al-Fudhayl wrote to Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ridha (as), 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 (as) replied: "Yes."
2074 - وَ قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ : «لَأَنْ أُعْطِيَ فِي اَلْفِطْرَةِ صَاعاً مِنْ تَمْرٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُعْطِيَ صَاعاً مِنْ تِبْرٍ.
Hadith.2074 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said:
"To give one sa' (measure) of dates for Zakat al-Fitr is more beloved to me than giving one sa' of gold."
2075 - 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.
Hadith.2075 - It is narrated from Hisham ibn Al-Hakam, from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as), 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 (as) added: "Zakat was revealed at a time when people did not have much wealth; thus, Zakat al-Fitr was established."
2076 - وَ سَأَلَ إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ أَبَا اَلْحَسَنِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ : عَنِ اَلْفِطْرَةِ فَقَالَ «الْجِيرَانُ أَحَقُّ بِهَا وَ لاَ بَأْسَ أَنْ يُعْطَى قِيمَةُ ذَلِكَ فِضَّةً.
Hadith.2076 - Ishaq ibn Ammar asked Abu Al-Hasan (as) about Zakat al-Fitr.
Imam (as) said: "Neighbors have the greatest right to it, and there is no harm in giving its equivalent value in silver."
2077 - وَ سَأَلَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ يَقْطِينٍ أَبَا اَلْحَسَنِ اَلْأَوَّلَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ : عَنْ زَكَاةِ اَلْفِطْرَةِ أَ يَصْلُحُ أَنْ يُعْطَى اَلْجِيرَانُ وَ اَلظُّئُورَةُ مِمَّنْ لاَ يَعْرِفُ وَ لاَ يَنْصِبُ فَقَالَ «لاَ بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ إِذَا كَانَ مُحْتَاجاً ».
Hadith.2077 - Ali ibn Yaqtin asked Imam Abu Al-Hasan Al-Awwal (as) about Zakat al-Fitr:
"Is it permissible to give it to neighbors or close acquaintances who do not share the same beliefs or who do not acknowledge (the Imamate)?"
Imam (as) replied: "There is no harm in that if they are in need."
2078 - وَ رَوَى إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ مُعَتِّبٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: «اِذْهَبْ فَأَعْطِ عَنْ عِيَالِنَا اَلْفِطْرَةَ وَ عَنِ اَلرَّقِيقِ وَ اِجْمَعْهُمْ وَ لاَ تَدَعْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَداً فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ تَرَكْتَ مِنْهُمْ إِنْسَاناً تَخَوَّفْتُ عَلَيْهِ اَلْفَوْتَ» قُلْتُ وَ مَا اَلْفَوْتُ قَالَ «اَلْمَوْتُ».
Hadith.2078 - It is narrated from Ishaq ibn Ammar, from Mu’attib, who said:
Abu Abdullah (as) said:
"Go and give Zakat al-Fitr on behalf of our household and for the servants. Include all of them and do not leave anyone out. If you leave out even one person, I fear for them the 'fawt' (loss)."
I asked: "What is 'fawt'?"
Imam (as) replied: "Death."
2079 - وَ رَوَى صَفْوَانُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اَلرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ اَلْحَجَّاجِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا اَلْحَسَنِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ يُنْفِقُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ لَيْسَ مِنْ عِيَالِهِ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ يَتَكَلَّفُ لَهُ نَفَقَتَهُ وَ كِسْوَتَهُ أَ يَكُونُ عَلَيْهِ فِطْرَتُهُ قَالَ «لاَ إِنَّمَا يَكُونُ فِطْرَتُهُ عَلَى عِيَالِهِ صَدَقَةً دُونَهُ» وَ قَالَ «اَلْعِيَالُ اَلْوَلَدُ وَ اَلْمَمْلُوكُ وَ اَلزَّوْجَةُ وَ أُمُّ اَلْوَلَدِ ».
Hadith.2079 - It is narrated from Safwan, from Abdur-Rahman ibn Al-Hajjaj, who said:
"I asked Abu Al-Hasan (as) about a man who spends on another man who is not part of his household but for whom he voluntarily provides sustenance and clothing. Is Zakat al-Fitr obligatory on him for that person?"
Imam (as) replied: "No, Zakat al-Fitr is only obligatory for one’s dependents, not for such a person."
Imam (as) further said: "Dependents include children, servants, a wife, and an umm al-walad (a bondwoman who bore a child for her master)."
2080 - وَ رَوَى صَفْوَانُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنِ اَلْفِطْرَةِ قَالَ «إِذَا عَزَلْتَهَا فَلاَ يَضُرُّكَ مَتَى مَا أَعْطَيْتَهَا قَبْلَ اَلصَّلاَةِ أَوْ بَعْدَهَا » وَ قَالَ «اَلْوَاجِبُ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تُعْطِيَ عَنْ نَفْسِكَ وَ أَبِيكَ وَ أُمِّكَ وَ وَلَدِكَ وَ اِمْرَأَتِكَ وَ خَادِمِكَ ».
Hadith.2080 - It is narrated from Safwan ibn Yahya, from Ishaq ibn Ammar, who said:
"I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about Zakat al-Fitr.
Imam (as) said: 'Once you have set it aside, it does not harm you when you give it, whether before or after the prayer.'
Imam (as) also said: 'It is obligatory for you to give Zakat al-Fitr on behalf of yourself, your father, your mother, your children, your wife, and your servant.'"
2081 - وَ رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَمَّا يَجِبُ عَلَى اَلرَّجُلِ فِي أَهْلِهِ مِنْ صَدَقَةِ اَلْفِطْرَةِ قَالَ «تَصَدَّقْ عَنْ جَمِيعِ مَنْ تَعُولُ مِنْ حُرٍّ أَوْ عَبْدٍ أَوْ صَغِيرٍ أَوْ كَبِيرٍ مَنْ أَدْرَكَ مِنْهُمُ اَلصَّلاَةَ.
Hadith.2081 - It is narrated from Muhammad ibn Muslim, from Abu Ja'far (as), who said:
"I asked him about what is obligatory upon a man regarding Zakat al-Fitr for his household.
Imam (as) said: 'Give Zakat al-Fitr for everyone you support, whether free or enslaved, young or old, as long as they have reached the time of the prayer (Eid prayer).'"
