Chapter on Additions Regarding Zakat

Muhammad ibn Ya'qub, from Ali ibn Ibrahim, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Ahmad ibn Khalid, from Abdullah ibn Yahya, from Abdullah ibn Muskan, from Abu Basir, who said: I said to Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, regarding the saying of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Mighty and Majestic, ‘Charities are only for the poor and the needy.’ (Surah al-Tawbah 9:60) Imam عليه السلام said: "‘The poor person’ is the one who does not ask people, and ‘the needy person’ is more distressed than him, and ‘the wretched one’ is the most distressed of them. And everything that Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Mighty and Majestic, has made obligatory upon you, making it public is better than concealing it; and whatever is voluntary, concealing it is better than making it public. And if a man were to carry the zakat of his wealth upon his shoulder and divide it publicly, that would be good and beautiful."