قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقاتُ لِلْفُقَراءِ وَ الْمَساكِينِ قَالَ الْفَقِيرُ الَّذِي لَا يَسْأَلُ النَّاسَ وَ الْمِسْكِينُ أَجْهَدُ مِنْهُ وَ الْبَائِسُ أَجْهَدُهُمْ فَكُلُّ مَا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَيْكَ فَإِعْلَانُهُ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ إِسْرَارِهِ وَ كُلُّ مَا كَانَ تَطَوُّعاً فَإِسْرَارُهُ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ إِعْلَانِهِ وَ لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلًا يَحْمِلُ زَكَاةَ مَالِهِ عَلَى عَاتِقِهِ فَقَسَمَهَا عَلَانِيَةً كَانَ ذَلِكَ حَسَناً جَمِيلًا .
Translation
Ali Bin Ibrahim, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad, from Muhammad Bin Khalid, from Abdullah Bin Yahya, from Abdullah Bin Muskan, from Abu Baseer who said, ‘I said to Abu Abdullah<sup>asws</sup>, ‘(What about) the Words of Allah<sup>azwj</sup> Mighty and Majestic <span class="ibTxt"><a href="/#/books/quran:9#h60"><a href="/books/quran:9#h60">[9:60]</a></a> But rather, the charities are only for the poor and the needy</span>?’ He<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘The ‘poor’ is the one who does not ask the people, and the needy is even more straitened than him, and the wretch is even more straitened than them. Thus, everything what Allah<sup>azwj</sup> Mighty and Majestic has Imposed upon you, so its public (giving) is superior than its secretive (giving), and everything what was voluntary, so its secretive (giving) is superior than its publicly (giving), and even if a man were to carry the <span class="iTxt">Zakāt</span> of his wealth upon his shoulders and distribute it publicly, that would be good, beautiful’.
Compiled by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni
Source
License: Free for educational and research use (Thaqalayn Data API)
Provided for research and educational purposes. Original source: Thaqalayn Project. Open License.