Chapter on Relatives for Whom Zakat Is Lawful and for Whom It Is Unlawful

Muhammad ibn Yaqub, from Muhammad ibn Yahya and Muhammad ibn Abdullah, from Abdullah ibn Jafar, from Ahmad ibn Hamzah, who said: I (narrator) said to Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “A man from among your mawali has relatives, all of whom profess belief in you (wilayah), and he has zakat. Is it permissible for him to give them all of his zakat?” Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes.”

Muhammad ibn Abi Abdullah, from Sahl ibn Ziyad, from Ali ibn Mahziyar, from Abu al-Hasan عليه السلام, said: I (narrator) asked Imam عليه السلام about ‘a man who places all of his zakat among the people of his household, while they have wilayah toward you (the Imams عليه السلام).’ Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes.”

Muhammad ibn Yaqub, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Ali ibn al-Hakam, from Muthanna, from Abu Basir, who said: A man asked Imam عليه السلام while I was listening, and he asked: “May I give my relatives from the zakat of my wealth, while they do not recognize you?” – meaning wilayah. He (narrator) said, so Imam عليه السلام said: “Do not give zakat except to a Muslim, and give them from other than that.” Then Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said: “Do you think that there is nothing due in wealth except zakat alone? What Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Mighty and Majestic, has made obligatory in wealth besides zakat is greater than what you give from it to relatives and to those who come before you from among those who ask you, so you give to them, so long as you do not know them to be upon hostility (nasb/nawasib). But when you know him to be upon hostility (nasb), then do not give him, unless you fear his tongue, so you purchase your religion and your honor from him.”

And from him, from several of our companions, from Sahl ibn Ziyad, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr, who said: I (narrator) asked Imam al-Ridha عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about ‘a man who has relatives, mawali, and orphans who love the Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام, peace be upon him, but do not recognize the master of this matter (rightful Imam of the time). Are they to be given from zakat?’ Imam عليه السلام said: “No.”

Al-Husayn ibn Said, from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd, from Zurah, from Samaah, and Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr, from Abu Basir, who said: I (narrator) said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “A man has zakat due upon him, and he has needy relatives who are not recognizers (of wilayah). Should he give them from zakat?” Imam عليه السلام said: “No, and no honor. He must not make zakat a protection for his wealth. He may give them from other than zakat, if he wishes.”

Muhammad ibn Yaqub, from several of our companions, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Ali ibn al-Hakam, from Abdullah ibn Utbah, from Ishaq ibn Ammar, from Abu al-Hasan Musa عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I (narrator) said to Imam عليه السلام: “I have relatives and I spend on some of them and prefer some of them over others. Then the time of zakat comes to me, may I give them from it?” Imam عليه السلام said: “Are they entitled to it?” I (narrator) replied: “Yes.” Imam عليه السلام said: “They are better than others (non-relatives); give them.” He (narrator) said: “I asked: ‘Then who is it among my relatives whose maintenance is binding upon me, so that I may not count zakat upon him?’” Imam عليه السلام said: “Your father and your mother.” I (narrator) asked: “My father and my mother?” Imam عليه السلام said: “The parents and the child.”

Muhammad ibn Yaqub, from Muhammad ibn Yahya, from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn, from Safwan, from Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj, from Abu Abdullah, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: “Five are not to be given anything from zakat; the father, the mother, the child, the owned slave, and the wife. And that is because they are his dependents, bound to him.”

And from him, from Ahmad ibn Idris and others, from Muhammad ibn Ahmad, from Muhammad ibn Abd al-Hamid, from Abu Jamilah, from Zayd al-Shahham, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: “In zakat; the brother, the sister, the paternal uncle, the paternal aunt, the maternal uncle, and the maternal aunt are given from it. But the grandfather is not given, nor the grandmother.”

As for what Muhammad ibn Yaqub narrated from Muhammad ibn Yahya, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Imran ibn Ismail ibn Imran al-Qummi, who said: I (narrator) wrote to Abu al-Hasan al-Thalith عليه السلام (the Third), peace be upon him: “I have children, men and women; is it permissible for me to give them from zakat?” Imam عليه السلام, peace be upon him, wrote: “That is permissible for you.”

Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Faddal, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Hashim, from Abu Khadijah, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: “Do not give from zakat to anyone whom you maintain.” And he (narrator) asked: “If a man has five hundred dirhams and his dependents are many.” Imam عليه السلام said: “There is no zakat upon him; he spends it on his dependents, increasing it in their maintenance, in their clothing, and in food which they had not been eating. And if he does not have dependents and is alone, then let him distribute it among people in whom there is no harm, chaste from asking, who do not ask anyone for anything.” And Imam عليه السلام said: “You must not give all of the zakat to your relatives, but give them some and distribute some among the rest of the Muslims.” And Imam عليه السلام said: “Zakat is lawful for the owner of a house and a servant, and for one who has five hundred dirhams, provided that he has dependents. And he makes the zakat of the five hundred an increase in the maintenance of his dependents, expanding upon them.”