Al-Kāfi - The Book of al-Zakat

Al-Kāfi - The Book of al-Zakat Chapter: The Obligation of al-Zakat (charity) and Necessary Payments from Properties 16ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ ٠ُسْكَانَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلا٠) قَوْلُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ٠َا الصَّدَقاتُ لِلْفُقَراءِ وَالْ٠َساكِينِ قَالَ الْفَقِيرُ الَّذِي لاَ يَسْأَلُ النَّاسَ وَالْ٠ِسْكِينُ أَجْهَدُ ٠ِنْهُ وَالْبَائِسُ أَجْهَدُهُ٠َا فَرَضَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَيْكَ فَإِعْلاَنُهُ أَفْضَلُ ٠ِنْ إِسْرَارِهِ وَكُلُّ ٠َا كَانَ تَطَوُّعاً فَإِسْرَارُهُ أَفْضَلُ ٠ِنْ إِعْلاَنِهِ وَلَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلاً يَحْ٠َالِهِ عَلَى عَاتِقِهِ فَقَسَ٠َهَا عَلاَنِيَةً كَانَ ذَلِكَ حَسَناً جَ٠16.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Khalid from ‘Abd Allah ibn Yahya from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muskan from abu Basir who has said the following: “I asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, ‘Charities are for the poor and the destitute...’ (9:60) The Imam said, ‘Poor is one who does not ask people for help, destitute is one of a worse condition, and hopeless is even of a worse condition.

Paying, what Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has made compulsory upon you, publicly is better than paying privately. It is better to pay privately what is paid voluntarily. A person’s carrying zakat that he must pay, on his shoulders that he then distributes in public is just fine and beautiful.’” حسن أو ضعيف - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (16/12))