Al-Kafi · Hadith 2

The Book of al-Zakat · The Reason for Amount of Zakat Levied without the Need to Increase or Decrease · Volume 3, book 5, chapter 3, Hadith 2

Original Arabic text

2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ رَاشِدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الْمِيثَمِيِّ عَنْ حَبِيبٍ الْخَثْعَمِيِّ قَالَ كَتَبَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ الْمَنْصُورُ إِلَى مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ وَكَانَ عَامِلَهُ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ أَهْلَ الْمَدِينَةِ عَنِ الْخَمْسَةِ فِي الزَّكَاةِ مِنَ الْمِائَتَيْنِ كَيْفَ صَارَتْ وَزْنَ سَبْعَةٍ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ هَذَا عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ فِيمَنْ يَسْأَلُ عَبْدَ الله بْنَ الْحَسَنِ وَجَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ (عَلَيْهِم الْسَّلام) قَالَ فَسَأَلَ أَهْلَ الْمَدِينَةِ فَقَالُوا أَدْرَكْنَا مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَنَا عَلَى هَذَا فَبَعَثَ إِلَى عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْحَسَنِ وَجَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ (عَلَيْهِم الْسَّلام) فَسَأَلَ عَبْدَ الله بْنَ الْحَسَنِ فَقَالَ كَمَا قَالَ الْمُسْتَفْتَوْنَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ قَالَ فَقَالَ مَا تَقُولُ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الله فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ الله (صلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) جَعَلَ فِي كُلِّ أَرْبَعِينَ أُوقِيَّةً أُوقِيَّةً فَإِذَا حَسَبْتَ ذَلِكَ كَانَ عَلَى وَزْنِ سَبْعَةٍ وَقَدْ كَانَتْ وَزْنَ سِتَّةٍ وَكَانَتِ الدَّرَاهِمُ خَمْسَةَ دَوَانِيقَ قَالَ حَبِيبٌ فَحَسَبْنَاهُ فَوَجَدْنَاهُ كَمَا قَالَ فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِ عَبْدُ الله بْنُ الْحَسَنِ فَقَالَ مِنْ أَيْنَ أَخَذْتَ هَذَا قَالَ قَرَأْتُ فِي كِتَابِ أُمِّكَ فَاطِمَةَ قَالَ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ فَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ ابْعَثْ إِلَيَّ بِكِتَابِ فَاطِمَةَ (عَلَيْهِا الْسَّلام) فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) إِنِّي إِنَّمَا أَخْبَرْتُكَ أَنِّي قَرَأْتُهُ وَلَمْ أُخْبِرْكَ أَنَّهُ عِنْدِي قَالَ حَبِيبٌ فَجَعَلَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ يَقُولُ لِي مَا رَأَيْتُ مِثْلَ هَذَا قَطُّ.

Published English translation

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Salmah ibn al-Khattab, from al-Hassan ibn Rashid from Ali ibn Isma’il al-Mithamiy from Habib al- Khath’amiy who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far al-Mansur once wrote to Muhammad ibn Khalid, his governor of al-Madinah, to ask people of al-Madinah about the amount of zakat that was five for every two hundred and how it has become seven for every two hundred which was not as such in the time of the Messenger of Allah. He commanded him to include ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Hassan and Ja‘far ibn Muhammad (a.s.), among the people asked. He (the narrator) has said, ‘He asked people of al-Madinah about it and they replied, “It is because people before us did so.’” He sent someone to ask ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Hassan about it. His answer was just like the answers of other people of al-Madinah. He then asked, ‘What do you say about it, O abu ‘Abd Allah?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘The Messenger of Allah had levied one Awqiyyah on every forty. If you calculate, it becomes equal to seven. The weight was six and dirham was five Dawaniq each.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘We calculate it and it was just as he (the Imam) had said.’ ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Hassan then came to the Imam and asked, ‘On the basis of what source have you come up with this calculation?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘I read it in the book of your mother, Fatimah, ‘Alayha al-Salam .’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘He then returned. Muhammad ibn Khalid then sent his people to the Imam asking for the book of Fatimah, ‘Alayha al-Salam .’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), then sent the answer, ‘I only informed you about my reading it in the book of Fatimah, ‘Alayha al-Salam. I did not say that I have the book of Fatimah, ‘Alayha al-Salam, with me.’ Habib has said, ‘Muhammad ibn Khalid would say, “I have never seen anything like this.’””

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: ضعيف

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (16/19)

Assessment transcribed from the source's named scholar and reference. No new grading or consensus is asserted; differing entries remain separate.

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi: Catalogue non-inclusion note (not an authenticity grade)

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī

Source records non-inclusion in this scholar's selection; this is not itself a weak or authentic grade.

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edition: Al-Kafi, volume 3, Thaqalayn digital edition / Muhammad Sarwar translation
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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
source Revision: becbad600b693ce23735d7403c4126ce7c896d34
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