<![CDATA[Shia Islam]]>https://www.shia-islam.orghttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kerb!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffe1ed7a9-c73a-4269-b788-dc5f43de5987_1024x1024.pngShia Islamhttps://www.shia-islam.orgSubstackFri, 03 Jul 2026 17:58:08 GMT<![CDATA[Alms Tax: Paying Fitrah for Dependents]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-paying-fitrah-for-dependentshttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-paying-fitrah-for-dependentsThu, 02 Jul 2026 22:05:25 GMT

Ruling 2005

A person must give fiṭrah on behalf of all those who are considered his dependants at the time of sunset on the eve of Eid al-Fiṭr, irrespective of whether they are young or old, Muslims or disbelievers, whether it is obligatory for him to pay for their living expenses or not, and whether they are in his town or another town.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Non-Obligation of Zakat al-Fitrah for a Poor Person]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-non-obligation-of-zakathttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-non-obligation-of-zakatThu, 02 Jul 2026 21:19:31 GMT

Ruling 2004

If a person cannot meet his and his family’s living expenses for one year and does not have an occupation by which he can meet his and his family’s expenses for one year, then such a person is a poor person and it is not obligatory for him to give zakāt al‑fiṭrah.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: The Obligation of Zakat al-Fitr (Fitrah)]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-the-obligation-of-zakathttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-the-obligation-of-zakatThu, 25 Jun 2026 22:06:20 GMT

Ruling 2003

A person who at the time of sunset (ghurūb) on the eve of Eid al-Fiṭr[1] is bāligh and sane, and not unconscious, poor, or a slave, must give on his behalf and on behalf of those who are dependent on him, one ṣāʿ – which is approximately three kilograms – of food per head to someone who is entitled to receive zakat. The food that he gives must be considered a staple food in his town, such as wheat, barley, dates, raisins, rice, millet, or something similar, and it suffices if he gives the food’s monetary value instead. The obligatory precaution is that food that is not considered a staple in his town must not be given as zakat, even if what he gives is wheat, barley, dates, or raisins.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

1

The 1st of Shawwāl.

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Giving Zakat to a Person Acquiring Knowledge]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-giving-zakat-to-a-personhttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-giving-zakat-to-a-personThu, 25 Jun 2026 21:57:51 GMT

Ruling 2002

If a person is engaged in acquiring knowledge and were he not acquiring knowledge he would be working for a living, in the event that acquiring that knowledge is an individual obligation, the portion of zakat for the poor can be given to him. If acquiring that knowledge is in the public interest, it is permitted to give zakat to him from the ‘in the way of Allah’ portion with the authorisation of a fully qualified jurist, based on obligatory precaution. In cases other than these two, it is not permitted to give zakat to him.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Priority of Zakat, Khums, Hajj, and Debt from the Estate of the Deceased]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-priority-of-zakat-khums-74bhttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-priority-of-zakat-khums-74bThu, 25 Jun 2026 21:55:54 GMT

Ruling 2001

If a person owes khums or zakat, and ḥajjat al‑islām[1] is obligatory for him, and he has debt as well, then, if he dies and his estate is not sufficient for all of these obligations, in the event that the wealth on which khums and zakat is obligatory has not perished, the khums and zakat must be paid and the rest of his estate must be used to settle his debt. However, if the property on which khums and zakat is obligatory has perished, his estate must be used to settle his debt. If after this anything is left, it must be spent for [hiring someone to perform] hajj [on the deceased’s behalf]; and if after this anything remains, it must be divided between the khums and zakat debts.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

1

Ḥajjat al‑islām is the term used for the hajj that is obligatory for a Muslim to perform once in his lifetime, as opposed to a hajj that is obligatory for a Muslim by means of a vow and suchlike.

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Priority of Zakat, Khums, and Other Obligations]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-priority-of-zakat-khumshttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-priority-of-zakat-khumsThu, 25 Jun 2026 21:53:49 GMT

Ruling 2000

If a person owes the one-fifth tax (khums) or zakat, and recompense (kaffārah), vow (nadhr), and suchlike are also obligatory for him, and he has debt as well, in the event that he cannot pay all of these obligations and the wealth on which khums and zakat are obligatory has not perished, he must pay the khums and zakat. If it has perished, then paying zakat, khums, and settling his debt has priority over kaffārah and nadhr.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Paying Zakat on Jointly Owned Property]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-paying-zakat-on-jointlyhttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-paying-zakat-on-jointlyThu, 25 Jun 2026 21:51:57 GMT

Ruling 1999

If two people jointly own a property on which zakat is obligatory and one of them gives zakat for his share, and after that they divide the property, then even if he knows that his partner has not given zakat on his share and is not going to give it afterwards, there is no problem in him using his own share of the property.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Paying Zakat on Items Received as Zakat]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-paying-zakat-on-items-receivedhttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-paying-zakat-on-items-receivedThu, 25 Jun 2026 21:50:11 GMT

Ruling 1998

If a poor person takes camels, cows, sheep, gold, or silver as zakat, in the event that the conditions for zakat to become obligatory for him are fulfilled with regard to those items, he must give zakat on them.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: A Poor Representative Taking Zakat for Himself]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-a-poor-representative-takinghttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-a-poor-representative-takingThu, 25 Jun 2026 21:48:24 GMT

Ruling 1997

If the owner of some wealth makes a poor person his representative for distributing the zakat of that wealth, in the event that the poor person deems it probable that the owner did not intend for him to take zakat for himself as well, he cannot take anything from it for himself; but, if he has certainty (yaqīn) that this was not the intention of the owner, then he can take from it for himself.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Taking Zakat for Hajj and Ziyarah]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-taking-zakat-for-hajj-andhttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-taking-zakat-for-hajj-andThu, 25 Jun 2026 21:46:15 GMT

Ruling 1996

A person can take from the ‘in the way of Allah’ portion of zakat for hajj, ziyārah,[1] and suchlike, even if he is not poor or has already taken an amount of zakat that is equal to his annual living expenses, provided that going for hajj, ziyārah, and suchlike is in the general public interest, and, based on obligatory precaution, he has obtained permission from a fully qualified jurist for using zakat in this way.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

1

Ziyārah is a visitation to the place of burial of a holy personality or a holy place.

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Purchasing Property from Zakat as a Charitable Endowment for Dependents]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-purchasing-property-fromhttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-purchasing-property-fromThu, 25 Jun 2026 21:44:00 GMT

Ruling 1995

A person cannot buy property from zakat and give it as a charitable endowment to his children or to those whose living expenses are obligatory for him in order that they spend the income generated from that property on their living expenses.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Purchasing Religious Books as a Charitable Endowment from Zakat]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-purchasing-religious-bookshttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-purchasing-religious-booksThu, 25 Jun 2026 21:42:18 GMT

Ruling 1994

A person cannot purchase the Qur’an, religious books, or books of supplications (duʿāʾs) from the ‘in the way of Allah’ portion of zakat and give them as a charitable endowment (waqf) unless the general public benefit necessitates it, and, based on obligatory precaution, he gets authorisation from a fully qualified jurist.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Attaching Conditions to Zakat and Returning It]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-attaching-conditions-tohttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-attaching-conditions-toThu, 25 Jun 2026 21:40:33 GMT

Ruling 1993

A poor person cannot settle for a lesser amount of zakat before receiving it, nor can he accept something more expensive than the value of the zakat. Furthermore, the giver of zakat cannot give it to someone entitled to receive it on condition that he must return it to him. However, there is no problem if the entitled person consents to return it to him after receiving it. For example, if someone who owes a lot of zakat but has become poor and cannot give it, and he has repented, and a poor person consents to take his zakat from him and gift it back to him, there is no problem.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Doubt Regarding the Payment of Zakat]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-doubt-regarding-the-paymenthttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-doubt-regarding-the-paymentThu, 25 Jun 2026 21:38:45 GMT

Ruling 1992

If a person doubts whether or not he gave the zakat that was obligatory for him, and the property that was subject to zakat still exists, he must give zakat even if his doubt is about the zakat of previous years. However, if the property has perished, then zakat is not liable on it even if it relates to the current year.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Buying Back the Zakat One Has Given]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-buying-back-the-zakat-onehttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-buying-back-the-zakat-oneThu, 25 Jun 2026 21:37:01 GMT

Ruling 1991

It is disapproved (makrūh) for a person to request someone entitled to receive zakat to sell him the zakat he gave him. However, if the person entitled to receive zakat wants to sell the thing he received, then after its price has been determined, the person who gave him the zakat has the first option to buy it.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Charges for Weighing and Measuring Zakat]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-charges-for-weighing-andhttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-charges-for-weighing-andTue, 23 Jun 2026 22:45:43 GMT

Ruling 1990

The charges for weighing and measuring wheat, barley, raisins, and dates that one gives as zakat must be paid by himself.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Transferring Zakat to Another Place When Local Recipients are Present]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-transferring-zakat-to-another-84fhttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-transferring-zakat-to-another-84fTue, 23 Jun 2026 22:43:56 GMT

Ruling 1989

If someone entitled to receive zakat is found in one’s town, he can still take it to another town but he must pay the expenses for transferring it to that town himself. If the zakat perishes, he is responsible for it unless he took it in compliance with the command of a fully qualified jurist.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Transferring Zakat to Another Place When Local Recipients are Absent]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-transferring-zakat-to-anotherhttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-transferring-zakat-to-anotherTue, 23 Jun 2026 22:42:01 GMT

Ruling 1988

If in the town of the person who wants to give zakat there is no one entitled to receive it and he cannot spend it in any other legally justified way, he can transfer the zakat to another place. In this case, if he is not negligent in looking after it but it still perishes, he is not responsible for it. Furthermore, he can obtain agency (wikālah) from a fully qualified jurist to take possession of it, and with the authorisation of a fully qualified jurist he can transfer it to another place. In this case too, he is not responsible for any loss, and he can take the transportation costs from the zakat as well.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Giving Zakat Openly and Sadaqah Secretly]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-giving-zakat-openly-andhttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-giving-zakat-openly-andTue, 23 Jun 2026 22:40:16 GMT

Ruling 1987

It is better that zakat be given openly and recommended alms to the poor (ṣadaqah) be given secretly.

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

]]><![CDATA[Alms Tax: Recommended Preferences in Giving Zakat]]>https://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-recommended-preferenceshttps://www.shia-islam.org/p/alms-tax-recommended-preferencesTue, 23 Jun 2026 22:38:24 GMT

Ruling 1986

It is recommended for one to give zakat on cows, sheep, and camels to poor persons who are respectable. In giving zakat, one should prefer his relatives, learned, and virtuous persons over others, and those who do not beg over those who beg. However, it might be that giving zakat to a poor person is better for some other reason [in which case, it should be given to that poor person].

-Ayatullah Sistani, Practical Laws of Islam, Alms Tax (Zakat)

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