سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَكُونُ لَهُ الدَّيْنُ عَلَى النَّاسِ يَحْتَبِسُ فِيهِ الزَّكَاةَ قَالَ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ فِيهِ زَكَاةٌ حَتَّى يَقْبِضَهُ فَإِذَا قَبَضَهُ فَعَلَيْهِ الزَّكَاةُ وَ إِنْ هُوَ طَالَ حَبْسُهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ حَتَّى يَتِمَّ لِذَلِكَ سِنُونَ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ زَكَاةٌ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَرَجَ زَكَّاهُ لِعَامِهِ ذَلِكَ وَ إِنْ هُوَ كَانَ يَأْخُذُ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا قَلِيلًا فَلْيُزَكِّ مَا خَرَجَ مِنْهُ أَوَّلًا فَأَوَّلً فَإِنْ كَانَ مَتَاعُهُ وَ دَيْنُهُ وَ مَالُهُ فِي تِجَارَتِهِ الَّتِي يَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهَا يَوْماً بِيَوْمٍ يَأْخُذُ وَ يُعْطِي وَ يَبِيعُ وَ يَشْتَرِي فَهُوَ يُشْبِهُ الْعَيْنَ فِي يَدِهِ فَعَلَيْهِ الزَّكَاةُ وَ لَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يُغَيِّرَ ذَلِكَ إِذَا كَانَ حَالُ مَتَاعِهِ وَ مَالِهِ عَلَى مَا وَصَفْتُ لَكَ فَيُؤَخِّرَ الزَّكَاةَ .
Translation
Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Isa, from Usman Bin Isa, from Sama’at who said, ‘I asked him<sup>asws</sup> about the man who happens to have the debts upon the people (owing him), ‘Would the <span class="iTxt">Zakāt</span> be reckoned in it?’ He<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘There is no <span class="iTxt">Zakāt</span> upon him with regards to it until he takes possession of it. So when he does take the possession of it, then upon him would be the <span class="iTxt">Zakāt</span>; and if its withholding is prolonged by the people until complete years go by, so there would be no <span class="iTxt">Zakāt</span> upon him until it comes out (to him). So when it does come, there would be <span class="iTxt">Zakāt</span> for that year of his; and if it was so that he had taken a little by little, so let him purify (pay <span class="iTxt">Zakāt</span>) what comes out from it firstly. And if it was so that his chattels, and his debts and his wealth were in a business which changes day by day, he takes and he gives, and he sells and he buys, so it would be like the essence in his hand, so the <span class="iTxt">Zakāt</span> would be upon him. And it is not befitting for him that he changes that when the state of his chattels and his wealth upon what I<sup>asws</sup> have described to you, so he would delay the <span class="iTxt">Zakāt</span>’.
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.