Rare Ahadith about Charity
Al-Kāfi|Volume 4|Book 1|Chapter 37
16ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قُلْتُ قَوْمٌ عِنْدَهُمْ فُضُولٌ وَبِإِخْوَانِهِمْ حَاجَةٌ شَدِيدَةٌ وَلَيْسَ تَسَعُهُمُ الزَّكَاةُ أَ يَسَعُهُمْ أَنْ يَشْبَعُوا وَيَجُوعَ إِخْوَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّ الزَّمَانَ شَدِيدٌ فَقَالَ الْمُسْلِمُ أَخُو الْمُسْلِمِ لا يَظْلِمُهُ وَلا يَخْذُلُهُ وَلا يَحْرِمُهُ فَيَحِقُّ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ الاجْتِهَادُ فِيهِ وَالتَّوَاصُلُ وَالتَّعَاوُنُ عَلَيْهِ وَالْمُوَاسَاةُ لأَهْلِ الْحَاجَةِ وَالْعَطْفُ مِنْكُمْ يَكُونُونَ عَلَى مَا أَمَرَ الله فِيهِمْ رُحَماءُ بَيْنَهُمْ مُتَرَاحِمِينَ.
16. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama‘ah who has said the following: “Once I explained before abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, about a people who are affluent, but have certain ones among them who are extremely needy. Zakat is not enough for them. ‘Can these affluent people live satisfied while their people suffer from hunger in such a difficult time?’ The Imam said, ‘The Muslims are each other’s brothers (in belief). It is not permissible for them to do injustice to each other, betray or deprive one another. It is necessary for a Muslim to strive hard and maintain good relations, cooperation and sympathy with the needy ones. It is showing kindness to each other about which Allah has issued His commanded on you to follow, ‘. . . They are kind to each other. . . ( 48 : 29 )’”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (6/180)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 54