Recipient Can Use Zakat as His Own Propert

Al-Kāfi|Volume 3|Book 5|Chapter 37
Al-Kāfi

Volume 3, Book 5, Chapter 37

Recipient Can Use Zakat as His Own Propert

1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ إِذَا أَخَذَ الرَّجُلُ الزَّكَاةَ فَهِيَ كَمَالِهِ يَصْنَعُ بِهَا مَا يَشَاءُ قَالَ وَقَالَ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَرَضَ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ فِي أَمْوَالِ الأغْنِيَاءِ فَرِيضَةً لاَ يُحْمَدُونَ إِلاَّ بِأَدَائِهَا وَهِيَ الزَّكَاةُ فَإِذَا هِيَ وَصَلَتْ إِلَى الْفَقِيرِ فَهِيَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ مَالِهِ يَصْنَعُ بِهَا مَا يَشَاءُ فَقُلْتُ يَتَزَوَّجُ بِهَا وَيَحُجُّ مِنْهَا قَالَ نَعَمْ هِيَ مَالُهُ قُلْتُ فَهَلْ يُؤْجَرُ الْفَقِيرُ إِذَا حَجَّ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ كَمَا يُؤْجَرُ الْغَنِيُّ صَاحِبُ الْمَالِ قَالَ نَعَمْ.
1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama‘ah who has said the following: “Abu ’Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said, ‘When a person receives Zakat it is like his own property and one can use it as one likes.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has made a share in the wealth of the wealthy people obligatory for the needy. The affluent people are not appreciated until they pay it. That share is Zakat. Once it (Zakat) reaches in the hands of the needy, it then becomes like his own property and he uses it as he likes for marriage or Hajj. Yes, it is his property.’ I then asked, ‘Can a needy person who performs Hajj from Zakat receive the reward for Hajj as the wealthy person receives?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, the needy receive the same amount of reward.’”
  • Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi
    Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (16/102)
  • Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 34