Refusal to Pay zakat

“Once I asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about the following words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ’. . . whatever they are avaricious about will be tied to their necks on the Day of Judgment. . (3:180) The Imam said, ‘O abu Muhammad, if one refuses to pay zakat Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, on the Day of Judgment will make a serpent of fire to curl around his neck and bite his flesh until He completes His judging all people.’ He then said, ’The words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, “Whatever they are avaricious about will be tied to their necks” is a reference to their avarice in paying zakat.”’

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘Once, when, in the Masjid, the Messenger of Allah asked several people to stand up. They numbered five people and then he asked them, ’Leave our Masjid. Do not perform Salah (prayer) here; you do not pay zakat.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that if one refuses to pay even a Qirat of zakat, he is not a believer or a Muslim and this is mentioned in the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, as follows: ’. . . Lord, allow me to go back so I can do good deeds in what I have left. . . .’(23:99-100)” In another Hadith it is said, ‘His Salah (prayer) is not accepted.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Whoever refuses to pay zakat due on any produce of his palm trees, plantations or vineyard, Allah makes that land up to seven levels to hang from his neck until the Day of Judgment.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said to me, ‘Allah has made it lawful, in Islam, to destroy two kinds of lives. No one can issue judgment about it until the rise of a person from our Ahl al-Bayt. When Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, allows this person from our Ahl al-Bayt, he then judges them according to the laws of Allah without calling any witness to testify. One such life is the life of an already married fornicator who is stoned to death and one who refuses to pay zakat due on him who is beheaded (for this crime).”’ A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Muhammad ibn Ali from Musa ibn Sa’dan from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Qasim from Malik ibn ‘Atiyyah from Aban ibn Taghlib from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) a similar Hadith.”

foiiowing: “Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that there is no one who pays his zakat who then experiences any decrease in his wealth. Also no increase takes place in the wealth of one who refuses to pay zakat which is due on him.”

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘If one dirham of rights of a person is denied it can cause double of this much to be spent elsewhere. If anyone refuses to pay a right which is due on his wealth, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, because of this will cause a serpent of fire to curl around him on the Day of Judgment.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Condemned and condemned indeed is one who refuses to pay zakat.’”

“If one pays, completely, the amount of zakat which is due on his wealth to the proper recipient, he is not asked how he has earned his wealth.”

“I asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, ‘. . . whatever they are avaricious about will be tied to their necks on the Day of Judgment. . .’ (3:180). The Imam said, ‘O abu Muhammad, if one refuses to pay zakat, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, on the Day of Judgment will make a serpent of fire to curl around his neck and bite his flesh until He completes His judging all people.’ He then said, ‘The words of Allah, “Whatever they are avaricious about will be tied to their necks” are a reference to their avarice in paying zakat.’””

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘One who refuses to pay zakat, on the time of his death asks to be returned to life again and this is referred to in the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, “. . . Lord, allow me to go back so I can do good deeds in what I have left. . (23:99-100)

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that performing an obligatory Salah (prayer) is more excellent than twenty Hajj and one Hajj is more excellent than giving as charity one houseful of gold.’ The narrator has said that the Imam then said, ‘There is no salvation for one who loses twenty housefuls of gold for only (because of not paying) twenty- five dirham.’ I (the narrator) then asked, ‘What is the meaning of twenty- five dirham?’ The Imam replied, ‘One who fails to pay zakat his Salah (prayer) is withheld until he pays zakat which is due on his wealth.’”

“Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that condemned, and condemned indeed is (a property or) one who does not pay zakat.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that one (Muslim) who does not pay zakat dies as a Jew or a Christian; (he is given the chance to choose).”

“Narrated to me one who had heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘A property is not lost, on land or in the sea, unless payment of its zakat is withheld. A bird does not become victim of hunting unless it forgets glorifying Allah.’”

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘One who refuses to pay zakat will have a bald serpent curled around him. It will feed on his brain. This is mentioned in the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, “. . . whatever they are avaricious about will be tied to their necks on the Day of Judgment. . . ’”” (3:180)

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘We have found in the book of Ali (a.s.), that the Messenger of Allah said, ‘When paying zakat is refused, the land withholds her blessings.’”

“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), say, ‘A bird does not become victim of hunting unless it forgets Tasbih (glorifying Allah). A property is not lost unless zakat which is due on it is withheld.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Any wealthy person owning gold and silver who refuses to pay zakat, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, on the Day of Judgment will keep him in captivity in a flat land. He (Allah) will send a bald serpent who will chase him and he will flee until he finds it impossible to escape. He (the person) will then allow the serpent to get his hand and it will bite it like a turnip. It will then curl around his neck. This is referred to in the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, “. . . whatever they are avaricious about will be tied to their necks on the Day of Judgment . . .” (3:180) Every owner of camels, sheep or cows who refuses to pay zakat will be held in Allah’s captivity on the Day of Judgment, in a flat land where every hooved-animal will walk on him and every sharp-toothed animal will bite him. Every owner of palm trees, vineyards or plantation who refuses to pay zakat will be made by Allah to have that land up to seven levels tied around his neck up to the Day of Judgment.’”

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘If a person withholds payment of zakat due on his wealth, his wealth does not increase.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that one who refuses to pay the right of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, spends double as much for falsehood.”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘Allah, the most Holy, the most High, will raise a people from their graves, on the Day of Judgment, their hands tied up to their necks and they will not be able to take anything even from a distance of one finger. Angels along with them censure them severely and say, “These were the ones who withheld a small amount of good, which could gain for them a great deal of good. These are those who refused to pay the right of Allah from their wealth.’”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has joined zakat with Salah (prayer), saying, “Maintain Salah (prayer) and pay zakat.” Thus, if one does not pay zakat, he has not performed Salah (prayer).”’