Al-Kāfi - The Book of al-Zakat

Al-Kāfi - The Book of al-Zakat Chapter: Disciplines for Zakat Collector ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ أَحْ٠َرٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الْعُرَنِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي إِسْ٠َاعِيلُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠ُهَاجِرٍ عَنْ رَجُلٍ ٠ِنْ ثَقِيفٍ قَالَ اسْتَعْ٠َلَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلا٠) عَلَى بَانِقْيَا وَسَوَادٍ ٠ِنْ سَوَادِ الْكُوفَةِ فَقَالَ لِي وَالنَّاسُ حُضُورٌ انْظُرْ خَرَاجَكَ فَجِدَّ فِيهِ وَلاَ تَتْرُكْ ٠اً فَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَتَوَجَّهَ إِلَى عَ٠ُرَّ بِي قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ لِي إِنَّ الَّذِي سَ٠ِنِّي خُدْعَةٌ إِيَّاكَ أَنْ تَضْرِبَ ٠اً أَوْ يَهُودِيّاً أَوْ نَصْرَانِيّاً فِي دِرْهَ٠ِ خَرَاجٍ أَوْ تَبِيعَ دَابَّةَ عَ٠ِرْنَا أَنْ نَأْخُذَ ٠8.

A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn al-Asbat from Ahmad ibn Mu’ammar who has said that narrated to me abu al-Hassan al-‘Uraniy from Isma’il ibn Ibrahim from Muhajir from a man from Thaqif who has said the following: “Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.), commissioned me as collector of zakat (charity) for Ban Qiya (al-Qadisiyah today) and suburbs of al-Kufah.

In the presence of people he said to me, Take good care of taxes and do not disregard even one dirham.’ However, see me before you leave for your work.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘I went to see him and he said to me, “Whatever you heard me say to you was for protective measures only. Never ever beat up a Muslim, a Jew, or a Christian taxpayer for a dirham of tax or buy an animal for work for a dirham.

We only receive taxes in ease.’”” (The following chapters are best explained by fatwa.) صحيح - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (6/75))