Al-Kāfi - The Book of al-Zakat

Al-Kāfi - The Book of al-Zakat Chapter: Offsetting Loan for Zakat َّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ ٠َّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ وَ٠َاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ جَ٠ِيعاً عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْ٠َنِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الأوَّلَ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلا٠) عَنْ دَيْنٍ لِي عَلَى قَوْ٠ٍ قَدْ طَالَ حَبْسُهُ عِنْدَهُ٠ْ لاَ يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى قَضَائِهِ وَهُ٠ُسْتَوْجِبُونَ لِلزَّكَاةِ هَلْ لِي أَنْ أَدَعَهُ وَأَحْتَسِبَ بِهِ عَلَيْهِ٠ِنَ الزَّكَاةِ قَالَ نَعَ٠1.

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from all from Safwan ibn Yahya from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj who has said the following: “I once asked abu al-Hassan, the first (a.s.), about the case of my loan on a people, who have delayed payment for a long time. They are not able to pay and they are deserving beneficiaries of Zakat. Can I count it as payment of my Zakat?

He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, you can do so.’” حسن - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (16/105))