Question 494: Is it permissible to give 'zakat al-fitrah' to a 'mut'ah' (i.e., a temporary wife)?

88 13 Feb 2021
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✅Answer:

Please pay attention to the following narrations:

1 عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه قَالَ: خَمْسَةٌ لَا يُعْطَوْنَ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ شَيْئاً الْأَبُ وَ الْأُمُ وَ الْوَلَدُ وَ الْمَمْلُوكُ وَ الْمَرْأَةُ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُمْ عِيَالُهُ لَازِمُونَ لَهُ.

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 3, p. 552

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Nothing from the (obligatory) 'zakat' is given to five people: the father, the mother, the child, the slave, and the wife (permanent). The explanation for this is that these persons are his dependents, and their sustenance is his obligation.

2 عَنْ زَيْدٍ الشَّحَّامِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: فِي الزَّكَاةِ يُعْطَى مِنْهَا الْأَخُ وَ الْأُخْتُ وَ الْعَمُّ وَ الْعَمَّةُ وَ الْخَالُ وَ الْخَالَةُ وَ لَا يُعْطَى الْجَدُّ وَ لَا الْجَدَّةُ.

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 3, p. 552

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said about 'zakat': It can be given to a brother, a sister, an uncle, an aunt, a maternal aunt, and a maternal uncle, but it is not given to a grandfather and a grandmother.

3 عَنْ عِدَّةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا يَرْفَعُونَهُ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: خَمْسَةٌ لَا يُعْطَوْنَ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ الْوَلَدُ وَ الْوَالِدَانِ وَ الْمَرْأَةُ وَ الْمَمْلُوكُ لِأَنَّهُ يُجْبَرُ عَلَى النَّفَقَةِ عَلَيْهِمْ.

📚 'Ilal al-Shara'i' p. 371, hadith 1

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'Zakat' is not given to five people: a child, a father, a mother, a wife (permanent), and a slave.

4 عَنْ أَبِي خَدِيجَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: لَا تُعْطِ مِنَ الزَّكَاةِ أَحَداً مِمَّنْ تَعُولُ

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 4, p. 57

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Do not give 'zakat' to any of those whom you provide for their livelihood and sustenance (and are your dependents).

5 عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فِي حَدِيثٍ فِي الْمُتْعَةِ قَالَ وَ لَا نَفَقَةَ وَ لَا عِدَّةَ عَلَيْكَ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 7, p. 267

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said in a hadith about 'mut'ah' (a temporary wife): There is no sustenance and no waiting period ('iddah') (for her) upon you!

✅ From the Shia narrations, some of which have been mentioned, it is clear that obligatory 'zakat', such as 'zakat al-fitrah', cannot be given to those whose sustenance is our obligation. However, according to hadith 5 and others, a temporary wife, or 'mut'ah', has no sustenance and is not one of the people whose sustenance is obligatory upon the man. Therefore, if the general conditions for deserving 'zakat al-fitrah' are met, namely poverty, 'wilayah' (allegiance to the Imams), 'iman' (faith), and so on, it is permissible to give her 'zakat al-fitrah'.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ