171 - الزكاة

171. ALMS-TAX (zakat)

849 - وُجوبُ الزَّكاةِ

849. THE OBLIGATORY ALMS-TAX

(خُذْ مِنْ أمْوالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِمْ بِها وَصَلِّ عَلَيهِمْ إنَّ صَلَاتَكَ سَكَنٌ لَّهُمْ واللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ) .¹

"Take charity from their possessions to cleanse them and purify them thereby, and bless them. Indeed your blessing is a comfort to them, and Allah is all-hearing all-knowing." ²

(وَأقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكاةَ وَما تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ إنَّ اللَّهَ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ) .³

"And establish the prayer and give the zakat. Any good that you send ahead for your souls, you shall find it with Allah. Indeed Allah sees best what you do." ⁴

2690.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : ما فَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَزّ ذِكرُهُ على‏ هذهِ الاُمّةِ أشَدَّ علَيهِم مِنَ الزَّكاةِ ، وما تَهلِكُ عامَّتُهُم إلّا فيها .⁵

2690.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Allah - exalted be His remembrance - has not obligated anything more difficult for this community than paying the alms-tax, and the downfall of the majority of people lies in [their failure to pay] it.' ⁶

2691.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : لا صلاةَ لِمَن لا زكاةَ لَهُ ، ولا زكاةَ لِمَن لا وَرَعَ لَهُ .⁷

2691.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'The prayer of one who does not give the alms-tax is void, and the alms-tax of the impious is void.' ⁸

2692.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : إنّما وُضِعَتِ الزَّكاةُ اِختِباراً للأغنِياءِ ومَعُونَةً لِلفُقَراءِ ، ولَو أنَّ الناسَ أدَّوا زكاةَ أموالِهِم ما بَقِيَ مسلمٌ فَقيراً مُحتاجاً ، ولَاسْتَغنى‏ بما فَرَضَ اللَّهُ عزّوجلّ لَهُ ، وإنّ الناسَ ما افتَقَرُوا ، ولا احتاجُوا ، ولا جاعُوا ، ولا عَرُوا إلّا بِذُنوبِ الأغنياءِ .⁹

2692.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'The alms-tax has been prescribed as a test for the rich and an aid to the poor. If people duly paid the alms-tax on their wealth, there would not remain a single poor or needy Muslim, and all would suffice themselves through what Allah has prescribed. Verily people are only impoverished, needy, hungry and naked as a result of the sins of the wealthy.' ¹⁰

170 - الزراعة

170. AGRICULTURE

848 - استِحبابُ الزَّرعِ وَالغَرسِ‏

848. The Divine Recommendation of Cultivation and Agriculture

2684.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : ما مِن مسلِمٍ يَغرِسُ غَرساً أو يَزرَعُ زَرعاً ، فَيَأكُلُ مِنهُ طَيرٌ أو إنسانٌ أو بَهيمِةٌ ، إلّا كانَ لَهُ بِه صَدَقةٌ .¹

2684.The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Every single Muslim that plants or cultivates anything of which humans, animals or birds may eat from is counted as charity towards them on his behalf.' ²

2685.الإمامُ الباقرُ عليه السلام : كانَ أبي يقولُ : خَيرُ الأعمالِ الحَرْثُ ، تَزرَعهُ فَيَأكُلُ مِنهُ البَرُّ والفاجِرُ ، أمّا البَرُّ فَما أكَلَ مِن شي‏ءٍ استَغفَرَ لكَ ، وأمّا الفاجِرُ فما أكَلَ مِنهُ مِن شَي‏ءٍ لَعَنَهُ ، ويَأكُلُ مِنهُ البهائمُ والطَّيرُ .³

2685. Imam al-Baqir (AS) narrated that his father used to say, 'The best of occupations is tilling the land, the produce of which is eaten by both the good-doer and the wrongdoer. That which the good-doer eats will seek forgiveness on his [i.e. the grower's] behalf, and that which the wrongdoer eats will curse him [i.e. the wrongdoer]. The birds and animals eat thereof too.' ⁴

2686.الإمامُ الباقرُ عليه السلام : كانَ أميرُ المؤمنينَ عليه السلام يقولُ : مَن وَجَدَ ماءً وتُراباً ثُمّ افتَقَرَ فَأبعَدَهُ اللَّهُ .⁵

2686. Imam al-Baqir (AS) narrated that Imam Ali (AS) used to say, 'He who, in spite of having water and soil at his disposal, is still poor, is dissociated by Allah.' ⁶

2687.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام: الزّارِعُونَ كُنُوزُ الأنامِ، يَزرَعُونَ طَيِّباً أخرَجَهُ اللَّهُ عزّوجلّ ، وهُم يومَ القِيامَةِ أحسَنُ الناسِ مَقاماً ، وأقرَبُهُم مَنزِلَةً ، يُدعَوْنَ المُبارَكِينَ .⁷

2687.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'The farmers are the treasures of mankind for they plant and harvest the good things that Allah has made grow. On the Day of Resurrection, they will occupy the best and nearest position [to Allah] and will be called the blessed ones.' ⁸

2688.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام - في قولِ اللَّه عزّوجلّ : (وعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ المُؤمِنُونَ)⁹ - : الزّارِعُونَ .¹⁰

2688. Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said that the verse of Allah in the Qur'an: "And on Allah do the believers rely" refers to the farmers.' ¹¹

2689.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام - لَمّا سَأ لَهُ يزيدُ بنُ هارونَ الواسِطيُّ عنِ الفَلّاحِينَ - : هُمُ الزّارِعُونَ كُنوزَ اللَّهِ في أرضِهِ ، وما في الأعمالِ شَي‏ءٌ أحَبَّ إلى اللَّهِ مِن الزِّراعَةِ ، وما بَعَثَ اللَّهُ نبيّاً إلّا زَرّاعاً إلّا إدريسَ عليه السلام فإنّهُ كانَ خَيّاطاً .¹²

2689.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'There is no occupation more beloved to Allah than agriculture, and every single prophet that Allah sent down was a farmer except Prophet Enoch ¹³ (AS) who was a tailor.' ¹⁴