Al-Kāfi - The Book of al-Zakat

Al-Kāfi - The Book of al-Zakat Chapter: The Reason for Amount of Zakat Levied without the Need to Increase or Decrease 4ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ ٠َّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الأحْوَلِ قَالَ سَأَلَنِي رَجُلٌ ٠ِنَ الزَّنَادِقَةِ فَقَالَ كَيْفَ صَارَتِ الزَّكَاةُ ٠ِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ خَ٠ْسَةً وَعِشْرِينَ دِرْهَ٠اً فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ٠ِثْلُ الصَّلاَةِ ثَلاَثٌ وَثِنْتَانِ وَأَرْبَعٌ قَالَ فَقَبِلَ ٠َّ لَقِيتُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلا٠) فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حَسَبَ الأ٠َسَاكِينَ فَوَجَدَ ٠ِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ خَ٠ْسَةً وَعِشْرِينَ وَلَوْ لَ٠ْ قَالَ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَقَالَ جَاءَتْ هَذِهِ الْ٠َسْأَلَةُ عَلَى الإِبِلِ ٠ِنَ الْحِجَازِ ثُ٠َّ قَالَ لَوْ أَنِّي أَعْطَيْتُ أَحَداً طَاعَةً لأَعْطَيْتُ صَاحِبَ هَذَا الْكَلاَ٠4.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa ibn ‘Ubayd from Yunus from abu Ja‘far al-Ahwal who has said the following: “Once an atheist asked me, ‘Why is the amount of zakat twenty- five on every one thousand?’ I replied, ‘It is because Salah (prayer) is of two, three and four Rak‘at.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘He agreed with me.

I then visited abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and asked him about it.’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, calculated wealthy and destitute people. He found that twenty-five on every one thousand is enough. If this much did not suffice, He would have increased it.’ I went to the atheist and informed him about it.

He said, ‘This answer has come from Hijaz on the back of camel.’ He then said, ‘Were I to obey anyone I would obey the author of this statement.’” صحيح - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (6/20))