Chapter on Zakat al-Fitrah

Muhammad ibn Yaqub, from Ali ibn Ibrahim, from Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Ubayd, from Yunus, from Abdullah ibn Sinan, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: “Everyone whom you include among your dependents, whether free or owned, then it is upon you to pay al-fitrah on his behalf.” Imam عليه السلام said: “Giving al-fitrah before prayer is better, and after prayer, it is charity.”

And from him, from several of our companions, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Ibn Abi Najran and Ali ibn al-Hakam, from Safwan al-Jammal, who said: I (narrator) asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about ‘(zakat) al-fitrah.’ Imam عليه السلام said: “It is upon the young and the old, the free and the slave, on behalf of every person, one sa’ of wheat, or one sa’ of dates, or one sa’ of raisins.”

And from him, from Muhammad ibn Yahya, from Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya, raising it to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: “A man pays his zakat on behalf of his contracted slave (mukatab), the slaves of his wife, his Christian slave, his Magian slave, and whatever his door has closed upon.”

And from him, from several of our companions, from Sahl ibn Ziyad, from al-Hasan ibn Mahbub, from Umar ibn Yazid, who said: I (narrator) asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about ‘a man who has a guest from among his brothers staying with him, and the day of al-Fitr arrives, does he pay al-fitrah on his behalf?’ Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes. Al-fitrah is obligatory upon everyone whom he maintains, whether male or female, young or old, free or owned.”

Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya, from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn, Ibn Abi Umayr, Muawiyah ibn Ammar: I (narrator) asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about ‘a newborn who was born on the night of al-Fitr, Is al-fitrah due upon him?’ Imam عليه السلام said: “No, the month has already ended.” And I (narrator) asked Imam عليه السلام about ‘a Jew who accepted Islam on the night of al-Fitr, Is al-fitrah due upon him?’ Imam عليه السلام said: “No.”

And it has been narrated: “That if a baby is born before midday (of al-Fitr), al-fitrah is to be taken out on his behalf, and likewise one who accepts Islam before midday.”

What al-Husayn ibn Said narrated from Safwan, from Ishaq ibn al-Mubarak, who said: I (narrator) said to Abu Ibrahim عليه السلام: “Is zakat al-fitrah due upon a needy man?” Imam عليه السلام said: “There is no fitrah upon him.”

And from him, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Ibn Muskan, from Yazid ibn Farqad, who said: I (narrator) said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “Is sadaqat al-fitrah due upon the needy person?” Imam عليه السلام said: “No.”

And from him, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Hammad, from al-Halabi, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam عليه السلام was asked about ‘a man who takes from zakat, Is sadaqat al-fitrah due upon him?’ Imam عليه السلام said: “No.”

Ali ibn Mahziyar, from Ismail ibn Sahl, from Hammad, from Hariz, from Yazid ibn Farqad, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: He (narrator) heard Imam عليه السلام saying: “Whoever takes from zakat, there is no fitrah upon him.” He (narrator) said that Ibn Ammar said: “Indeed Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said: ‘There is no fitrah upon one who has taken zakat.’”

And from him, from Ismail ibn Sahl, from Hammad, from Hariz, from al-Fudayl, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, said: I (narrator) said to Imam عليه السلام: “For whom is al-fitrah lawful?” Imam عليه السلام said: “For the one who does not possess enough (poor/needy person). And whoever it is lawful for (to receive zakat al-fitrah), it is not lawful upon him (not obligatory for him to pay it); And whoever it is lawful upon (person upon whom zakat al-fitrah is obligatory), it is not lawful for him (not allowed to receive it).”

And by this chain of transmission, from al-Fudayl ibn Yasar, who said: I said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “Is zakat due upon one who has accepted zakat?” Imam عليه السلام said: “As for one who has accepted the zakat of wealth, then zakat al-fitrah is due upon him, but no zakat is due upon him for what he has accepted. And there is no fitrah upon one who accepts al-fitrah.”

Sa’ad ibn Abdullah, from Abu Jafar, from al-Husayn ibn Said, from Safwan ibn Yahya, from Ishaq ibn Ammar: I said to Abu Ibrahim عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “Is zakat al-fitrah due upon a needy man?” Imam عليه السلام said: There is no fitrah upon him.

And from him, from Abu Jafar, from Ali ibn al-Hakam, from Aban ibn Uthman, from Yazid ibn Farqad al-Nahdi, who said: I asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about ‘a man who accepts zakat, Is sadaqat al-fitrah due upon him?’ Imam عليه السلام said: “No.”

Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Faddal, from Ibrahim ibn Hashim, from Hammad, from Hariz, from Zurarah, who said: I (narrator) said to Imam عليه السلام: “Is zakat due upon one who has accepted zakat?” Imam عليه السلام said: “As for one who has accepted the zakat of wealth, then zakat al-fitrah is due upon him, and there is no fitrah upon one who has accepted al-fitrah.”

Muhammad ibn Yaqub, from Ali ibn Ibrahim, from Muhammad ibn Isa, from Yunus, from Umar ibn Udhaynah, from Zurarah, who said: I (narrator) said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “The poor person upon whom charity is given, is sadaqat al-fitrah obligatory upon him?” Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes, he gives from what is given to him in charity.”

And from him, from Muhammad ibn Yahya, from Abdullah ibn Muhammad, from Ali ibn al-Hakam, from Dawud ibn al-Numan and Sayf ibn Amirah, from Ishaq ibn Ammar, who said: I (narrator) said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: “A man does not have anything of al-fitrah except what he would pay on behalf of himself alone from al-fitrah; should he give it to a stranger, or should he and his dependents eat it?” Imam عليه السلام said: “He gives it to some of his dependents, then the other gives it on behalf of himself. They pass it around among themselves, and it becomes one fitrah on behalf of all of them.”

Al-Husayn ibn Said, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Hammad, from al-Halabi, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: “Sadaqat al-fitrah is upon every head from your household, the young and the old, the free and the owned, the rich and the poor; on behalf of every person, half a sa’ of wheat or barley, or one sa’ of dates or raisins, for the poor of the Muslims.” And Imam عليه السلام said: “Dates are the most beloved of that to me.”

What al-Husayn ibn Said narrated from Hammad, from Abdullah ibn Maymun, from Abu Abdillah Imam Ja’far عليه السلام from his father, Imam al-Baqir عليه السلام, peace be upon them both: Imams عليه السلام said: “Zakat al-fitrah is one sa’ of dates, or one sa’ of raisins, or one sa’ of barley, or one sa’ of dried curd (aqit), on behalf of every person, free or slave, young or old. And there is no hardship upon one who does not find that with which he may give charity.”