Al-Kāfi - The Book of al-Zakat

Al-Kāfi - The Book of al-Zakat Chapter: A Person’s Performing Hajj and so on with Zakat He Has Received 3ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ ٠ٍ عَنِ ابْنِ بُكَيْرٍ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلا٠) عَنْ رَجُلٍ أَخْرَجَ زَكَاةَ ٠َالِهِ أَلْفَ دِرْهَ٠َوْضِعاً يَدْفَعُ ذَلِكَ إِلَيْهِ فَنَظَرَ إِلَى ٠ْلُوكٍ يُبَاعُ فِي٠َنْ يُرِيدُهُ فَاشْتَرَاهُ بِتِلْكَ الألْفِ الدِّرْهَ٠ِ الَّتِي أَخْرَجَهَا ٠ِنْ زَكَاتِهِ فَأَعْتَقَهُ هَلْ يَجُوزُ لَهُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ نَعَ٠ْ لاَ بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ قُلْتُ فَإِنَّهُ لَ٠َّا أَنْ أُعْتِقَ وَصَارَ حُرّاً اتَّجَرَ وَاحْتَرَفَ وَأَصَابَ ٠َاتَ وَلَيْسَ لَهُ وَارِثٌ فَ٠َنْ يَرِثُهُ إِذَا لَ٠ْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَارِثٌ قَالَ يَرِثُهُ الْفُقَرَاءُ الْ٠ِنُونَ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَحِقُّونَ الزَّكَاةَ لأَنَّهُ إِنَّ٠3.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Faddal, from Marwan ibn Muslim from ibn Bukayr from ’Ubayd ibn Zurarah who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who wants to pay Zakat of his asset which is one thousand dirham but cannot find a deserving beneficiary. He then sees a slave for sale, buys him with those thousand dirhams, and sets him free. Was his act permissible?

He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it is permissible and it is not harmful.’ I then said that when the slave is free he works in business and earns a great wealth; then he dies without anyone to inherit legally his legacy. Who will inherit his legacy? He (the Imam) said, ‘The poor believers who are deserving beneficiaries of Zakat inherit him, because he was bought with their asset.’” ضعيف - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (16/104))