A Qualified Recipient Who Refuses to Receive Zakat
Al-Kāfi|Volume 3|Book 5|Chapter 44
4ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ حَرِيزٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) الرَّجُلُ يَكُونُ مُحْتَاجاً فَيُبْعَثُ إِلَيْهِ بِالصَّدَقَةِ فَلاَ يَقْبَلُهَا عَلَى وَجْهِ الصَّدَقَةِ يَأْخُذُهُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ ذِمَامٌ وَاسْتِحْيَاءٌ وَانْقِبَاضٌ أَ فَيُعْطِيهَا إِيَّاهُ عَلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ الْوَجْهِ وَهِيَ مِنَّا صَدَقَةٌ فَقَالَ لاَ إِذَا كَانَتْ زَكَاةً فَلَهُ أَنْ يَقْبَلَهَا فَإِنْ لَمْ يَقْبَلْهَا عَلَى وَجْهِ الزَّكَاةِ فَلاَ تُعْطِهَا إِيَّاهُ وَمَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَسْتَحْيِيَ مِمَّا فَرَضَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّمَا هِيَ فَرِيضَةُ الله لَهُ فَلاَ يَسْتَحْيِي مِنْهَا.
4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Hammad from Hariz, from Muhammad ibn Muslim who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja‘far عليه السلام, about a man who is needy and I send him charity (Zakat) but he does not accept as charity (Zakat); it causes him to be protective, shy and depressed. Can I give without the aspect of charity (Zakat) when it is charity (Zakat) from us?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘If it is Zakat he must accept it and if he does not accept it with the aspect of Zakat, then do not give it to him. It is not proper for him to be shy about what Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has made obligatory. It is only obligatory from Allah for him and he must not feel shy about it.’”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (16/118)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 40