سعد بن

“I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), about the amount of wheat, barley, dates or raisins for each person as al-Fitrah. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is one Sa’ of the Sa‘ of the Prophet (sw).”’

“One who is needy and does not accept Zakat, is like one on whom Zakat has become obligatory and he is not paying it.”

“One who pays Zakat, his wealth will never be wasted neither on land nor in the sea. When the Qaim of the progeny of Muhammad reappears, he will cut off the heads of those who do not pay Zakat.”

"Islam has been founded on five pillars: the establishment of Salat (prayer), giving away Zakat (alms), fasting in the month of Ramadhan, pilgrimage to the Sacred House, and the Wilayat to us Ahlul Bayt."

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about the minimum Zakat due on wheat, barley, dates and raisins. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is one wasaq out of five Awsaq of wasq of the Holy prophet.’ I then asked, ‘How much is wasaq?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is sixty Sa‘.’ I then asked, ‘Is there Zakat on grapes or that there is Zakat on it only when it is turned into raisins. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, when he estimates it then pays its Zakat.’”

“I once asked abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), about a man whose accounting time comes three times in a year. Can he delay to make them all at one time? He (the Imam) said, ‘Whenever it comes he must pay Zakat.’ I then asked, ‘When it is the time to pay Zakat of wheat, barley, dates and raisins? He (the Imam) said, ‘It is when he cuts and estimates.’”

Some of them mentioned at the place of Abu’l-Hasan, peace be upon him, and said: It has reached us that a man perished at the era of Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and left behind two dinars, to which Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said: «He left a lot». He said: Indeed, that was a man who used to approach the people in kiosks and ask them, and then he died and left behind two dinars.

“When a believer enters his grave, the Salaat is to his right and Zakat to his left. Good deeds shade him and patience stands at one end. When the two angels enter to question him, Patience tells Salaat, Zakat and good deeds: ‘Protect your friend. If you fail to do so, I will protect him.”

The narrator asked Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) regarding the verse: they shall have that whereof they were niggardly made to cleave to their necks on the resurrection day. Imam (a.s.) replied, “For one who does not pay Zakat from his wealth, the Almighty Allah will make a serpent of fire from that wealth and put it around the neck of that person on the Day of Judgment. This serpent will sting the person continuously till the time he is giving account of his deeds. According to that verse, acting miserly in spending wealth means non payment of Zakat.”

I asked Abdullah as-Sadiq (MGB) about how many items require alms-tax. The Imam (MGB) said, “Nine things require alms-tax which God’s Prophet (MGB) has established. He (MGB) has forgiven tax on other things.” One of those present called al-Tayyar said, “We plant some thing which we call rice.” The Imam (MGB) said, “We plant a lot of things, too.” He asked, “Is there any alms-tax on rice?” The Imam (MGB) said, “Did I not say that God’s Prophet (MGB) has forgiven tax on anything else. These nine things include gold and silver. They also include three animals that are camels, sheep and cows. The rest are from things which grow on the Earth and are wheat, barley, raisins and dates.”

2. Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) narrates that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said, “There are five things from which you should seek Allah’s refuge. When people of a community start sinning openly, epidemic plagues, which were not destined for them earlier, become common. When people start cheating in weight, they have to face drought and oppression of an unjust ruler. When Zakat is not paid, rainfall is reduced and they would not have received rain had there been no animal among them. When the oaths of Allah and promises to His Messenger are broken, the Almighty Allah gives their control to their enemies. He takes away whatever is present with them. When people act without obeying Allah’s commands, He sends His chastisement on them.”

Whenever Amir al-Mu’minin `Ali b. Abi Talib (as) was given money, he put it in the treasury of the Muslims (bayt al-mal al-muslimin). Then, he would gather those who were wronged, and he would take the money with his hand and distribute it left and right while saying: O gold, O silver! Do not deceive me – deceive someone else. I give this to others and forbid my hand from it. He would not leave until he distributed what was in the treasury of the Muslims and gave everyone their due right. Then, he would call for it to be swept and washed. Then, he would pray two units in it. Then, he would divorce this world three times; saying after the taslim: O world! Do not present yourself to me, do not make me long for you, and do not deceive me, for I have divorced you three times, and there is no coming back to you.

3. Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) said, “One who owns gold and silver and does not pay Zakat; the Almighty Allah will do the accounting of his deeds in a barren desert on the Day of Judgment. He will appoint a serpent whose venom would have reached its hair from its head. The serpent will follow the person who will try to run away. However when he comes to know that it is difficult to save himself from the serpent, the person will try to defend himself using his hands. The serpent will pounce upon him within the twinkling of an eye and shackle him by his neck. This is in accordance with the saying of Allah: they shall have that whereof they were niggardly made to cleave to their necks on the resurrection day. Similarly one who owns camels, cows, sheep and goats and does not pay Zakat, the Almighty Allah will capture him in a barren desert. Every poisonous creature present over there will sting him. Similarly one who owns dates, grapes and farms and does not pay Zakat, the Almighty Allah will shackle him in the ring made as large as the seven layers of the earth.”

I was seated at Abi Ja’far’s عليه السلام place and there was no one with him except his son Ja’far, so he (Abu Ja’far) said: O Zurara, Abu Dhar رضي الله عنه and Uthman argued in the life-time of the prophet, so Uthman said: every kind wealth whether it be gold or silver which circulates [is active i.e. having in-flow and out-flow], is worked with [as a capital], and is used for business – then there is Zakat on it if a year elapses, so Abu Dhar رضي الله عنه said: as for that which is used for business, is active, and is worked with – then there is no Zakat on it, rather Zakat is on that which is buried treasure (found fortuitously) and also on stored-up (saved) wealth, so if a year elapses on it then on it is Zakat, so they argued and referred it back to the messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله, so he said: the true position is what was said by Abu Dhar, so Abu Abdillah عليه السلام said to his father: you do not want anything else but that such a one [narration] comes out [and is spread among the people] so that the people stop giving their poor and needy (anything of Zakat)?! So his father said: keep to yourself [don’t interfere], I do not find any option other than it (to narrate what happened and speak the truth).

Indeed, it is among humbleness that a man is pleased with one sitting place before more sitting places, that he sends peace upon the one he meets, that he abandons quarreling, even if he is rightful, and that he does not like to be praised for godfearness.

I heard Amir al-Mu’minin `Ali b. Abi Talib (as) say: I asked the Messenger of Allah (s) about the characteristics of the believer. So, he (s) lowered his head, then raised it and said: In the believer there are twenty characteristics. Whoever does not have them in him, his faith has not been perfected. O `Ali! Surely, the believers are those who (1) attend prayers, (2) hasten to zakat, (3) go on Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah, (4) fast in the month of Ramadan, (5) feed the needy, (6) feel the heads of orphans, (7) cleanse their nails, (8) cautiously cover their privates, (9) when they speak, they do not lie, (10) when they promise, they do not break it, (11) when they are entrusted, they do not betray, (12) when they speak, they are honest, (13) are monks at night, (14) are lions in the day, (15) fast during the day, (16) stand in prayer during the night, (17) do not harm a neighbour, (18) no neighbour is harmed through him, (19) walk gently on the earth, (20) walk to the houses of widows and follow funeral processions. May Allah make us and you from the Godfearing.

It is for every five sheep until they reach twenty-five, and if they reach that, for for that is a child at birth. Then, there is nothing in that until they reach thirty-five, and if they reach thirty-five, for that is one that is milked. Then, there is nothing in that until they reach forty-five, and if they reach forty-five, for that is a three-year-old female camel that can be approached by a male. Then, there is nothing in that until they reach sixty, and if they reach sixty, for that is a four-year-old female camel. Then, there is nothing for that until they reach seventy-five, and if they reach seventy-five, for that are two that are milked. Then, there is nothing for that until they reach ninety, and if they reach ninety, for that are two three-year-old female camels that can be approached by a male. Then, there is nothing for that until they reach a hundred and twenty, and if they reach a hundred and twenty, for that are two three-year-old camels that can be approached by a male. Then, if one is added onto a hundred and twenty, for every fifty there is one three-year-old female camel, and for every forty, there is one that is milked. Then, the camels are to be calculated again by their ages. There is nothing for nayyif, nor for kusour, and there is nothing for ‘awamil. That is only for the freely eating that are herded. He said: I said: What is it for freely eating Bactrians [1]? He said: The same as what is with regards to Arabic camels.

I heard him say: There isn’t any less rain in one year than in another. Rather, Allah places it wherever He wishes. If a people sin, Allah sends what was apportioned to them to others, and to the deserts, the oceans, and the mountains. Allah even torments the scarab in its burrow by withholding the rain from the land of the erring people. However, Allah has given it a passage away from the people of sin. Then, Abu Ja`far (as) said: So, take heed of this, O people of insight. Then, he said: We found in the Book of `Ali (as) that the Messenger of Allah (s) said: When fornication becomes apparent, sudden deaths increase. When the scales are off, Allah punishes them with years of shortages. When they prevent almsgiving, the Earth is prevented from all the blessings of its crops, its fruits, and its ore. When they break covenants, Allah empowers their enemy. When they cut blood-ties, wealth goes into the hands of the evil ones. When they don’t enjoin in established virtues, prohibit evil, and follow the chosen ones from my Ahl al-Bayt, Allah empowers the evil ones among them. At that, they will call to their chosen one, but they will not be answered.