سورة المعارج

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Sama'a ibn Mihran narrates from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) who said: "Allah the Mighty and Majestic placed in the wealth of the rich a right for the poor and needy, by the performance of which they will not be praised, and that is zakat. By means of zakat they safeguard their blood from being shed, and by it they were called Muslims; but at the same time Allah the Mighty and Majestic has also fixed rights in the wealth of the rich other than zakat, and He says: وَ الَّذِینَ فِی أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ [And those in whose wealth there is a known right] — this is something other than zakat, and it is something a person fixes upon himself in his wealth, which must be determined according to his ability and his wealth. This which he has made incumbent upon himself to fulfil, if he wishes he may perform it every day, or every Friday, or every month."

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): Qasim ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Ansari said: I heard Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) say: "A man came to my father Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) and said: 'What is meant by the known right in this verse: وَ الَّذِینَ فِی أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ * لِّلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ [And those in whose wealth there is a known right, for the beggar and the deprived]?' Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) said: 'The known right is that which a person designates from his wealth which is not from zakat and not from the obligatory sadaqa.' He said: 'If it is not zakat and not obligatory sadaqa, then what is it?' He said: 'It is something which a person designates from his wealth, its being little or much being according to his capacity and his wealth.' The man said to him: 'What should he do with it?' He said: 'With it he should maintain ties of kinship, help the needy, lift a burden from the shoulders of a family, or help a brother in faith who is in difficulty and has fallen into some calamity.' The man said: 'Allah knows best where to place His message.'"

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: We were with Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) and some of the wealthy were with us. They brought up the matter of zakat. Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "Zakat is not something for which its owner is praised and extolled; rather, zakat is an outward matter through which the shedding of that person's blood is prevented and by which he is called a Muslim. And if he does not fulfill it, his prayer will not be accepted. In your wealth there are dues besides zakat." I said: "May Allah grant you good! What dues besides zakat are there in wealth that we must fulfill?" He said: "Subhan Allah! Have you not heard that Allah the Mighty and Majestic says in the Quran: وَ الَّذِینَ فِی أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ * لِّلسَّائِلِ وَ الْمَحْرُومِ [And those in whose wealth there is a fixed portion, for the beggar and the deprived]?" I said: "What is the due upon us?" He said: "It is what a person sets aside from his own wealth to give at the end of every day, or every Friday, or every month. Whether it is little or much does not matter; what matters is that he keeps at it continuously."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ismail ibn Jabir said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about this verse: وَ الَّذِینَ فِی أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ * لِّلسَّائِلِ وَ الْمَحْرُومِ [And those in whose wealth there is a fixed portion, for the beggar and the deprived] — whether the verse means something other than zakat. He said: "It is that Allah gives a person wealth and riches, and that person sets aside from that wealth a thousand, or two thousand, or three thousand, or more, or less, to maintain ties of kinship and to relieve the hardship of his people's expenses."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Sama'a narrates from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) who said: حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ [the fixed portion] is not from zakat; it is what you set aside from your wealth — if you wish on every Friday, or if you wish every month — and every possessor of bounty has his own bounty... And He, the Mighty and Majestic, said: وَ الَّذِینَ فِی أَمْوالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَعْلُومٌ [And those in whose wealth there is a fixed portion]. So the fixed portion is other than zakat, and it is the wealth or aid which a person himself makes obligatory upon himself to give for an individual or the community; and it is incumbent upon him that he set its amount according to his capacity and the ease of his circumstances.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked about this verse: فِی أَمْوالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَعْلُومٌ* لِلسَّائِلِ وَ الْمحْرُومِ [In their wealth there is a fixed portion, for the beggar and the deprived]. He said: "This is something other than zakat, and everyone must make its payment obligatory upon himself on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Marwan narrates from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he said: "I was performing tawaf of the House of Allah along with my father when a tall man with a swollen forehead, wearing a turban on his head, came forward and said: 'Peace be upon you, O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)!' My father returned his greeting. He said: 'I wanted to ask you about some matters which only one or two persons know the answer to.' When my father finished the tawaf, he entered the Hijr and prayed two rak'ahs. Then that man said: 'Right here, O Aba Ja'far (peace be upon him)!' The Imam turned toward that man and he asked him about those matters. One of his questions was: 'What is meant by the fixed portion in this verse: فِی أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَعْلُومٌ [In whose wealth there is a fixed portion]?' He said: 'It is something a person sets aside from his wealth for hardships and for maintaining ties of kinship.' That man said: 'You have spoken truly!' My father was astonished at his words. Then that man arose and left the place. My father said to me: 'Call that man back!' I went after him but did not find him."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abd al-Rahman ibn Kathir said: I was with Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) when a man from the Shia came to bid him farewell before departing for Iraq. The Imam took his hand and told him what his father used to do. He said: The man bid him farewell and left, and news came that he had been waylaid on the road. I reported the matter to the Imam. He said: "Glory be to Allah! Did I not advise him?" I said: "Yes, indeed." Then I said: "May I be your ransom! When I did this, may I count it as part of zakat?" He said: "No, but if you wish, count it as part of the fixed portion (al-haqq al-ma'lum)."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn al-Qasim, a man from the people of Sabat, said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said to Ammar Sabati: "O Ammar (may Allah have mercy on him)! Do you have much wealth at your disposal?" Ammar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Yes!" He said: "Do you pay the zakat which Allah has made obligatory upon you?" He said: "Yes!" He said: "Do you pay the حَقٌّ مَعْلُومٌ [fixed portion] from your wealth?" He said: "Yes."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): It is that you maintain ties with your kin, give to the one who has deprived you, and give charity to the one who has shown enmity toward you.