The Sufficient (Vol 3) · Hadith 1948 (#Ḥadīth #4)

4ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الأحْوَلِ قَالَ سَأَلَنِي رَجُلٌ مِنَ الزَّنَادِقَةِ فَقَالَ كَيْفَ صَارَتِ الزَّكَاةُ مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ خَمْسَةً وَعِشْرِينَ دِرْهَماً فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّمَا ذَلِكَ مِثْلُ الصَّلاَةِ ثَلاَثٌ وَثِنْتَانِ وَأَرْبَعٌ قَالَ فَقَبِلَ مِنِّي ثُمَّ لَقِيتُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حَسَبَ الأمْوَالَ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ فَوَجَدَ مَا يَكْفِيهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ خَمْسَةً وَعِشْرِينَ وَلَوْ لَمْ يَكْفِهِمْ لَزَادَهُمْ قَالَ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَقَالَ جَاءَتْ هَذِهِ الْمَسْأَلَةُ عَلَى الإِبِلِ مِنَ الْحِجَازِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَوْ أَنِّي أَعْطَيْتُ أَحَداً طَاعَةً لأَعْطَيْتُ صَاحِبَ هَذَا الْكَلاَمِ.

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa ibn ‘Ubayd from Yunus from abu Ja‘far al-Ahwal who has said the following: “Once an atheist asked me, ‘Why is the amount of zakat twenty- five on every one thousand?’ I replied, ‘It is because Salah (prayer) is of two, three and four Rak‘at.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘He agreed with me. I then visited abu ‘Abd Allah , and asked him about it.’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, calculated wealthy and destitute people. He found that twenty-five on every one thousand is enough. If this much did not suffice, He would have increased it.’ I went to the atheist and informed him about it. He said, ‘This answer has come from Hijaz on the back of camel.’ He then said, ‘Were I to obey anyone I would obey the author of this statement.’”

Gradings are classical jarḥ-wa-taʿdīl, name-matched to a rijāl index (not individually re-verified).