٣ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ وَغَيْرُهُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَفْصٍ عَنْ صَبَّاحٍ الْحَذَّاءِ عَنْ قُثَمَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الزَّكَاةِ كَيْفَ صَارَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفٍ خَمْسَةً وَعِشْرِينَ لَمْ تَكُنْ أَقَلَّ أَوْ أَكْثَرَ مَا وَجْهُهَا فَقَالَ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ كُلَّهُمْ فَعَلِمَ صَغِيرَهُمْ وَكَبِيرَهُمْ وَغَنِيَّهُمْ وَفَقِيرَهُمْ فَجَعَلَ مِنْ كُلِّ أَلْفِ إِنْسَانٍ خَمْسَةً وَعِشْرِينَ مِسْكِيناً وَلَوْ عَلِمَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ لاَ يَسَعُهُمْ لَزَادَهُمْ لأَنَّهُ خَالِقُهُمْ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ.
3. Ahmad ibn Idris and others have narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Hafs from Sabah al-Hadhdha’ from Quthama who has said the following: “I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah , ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, why the amount of zakat on every one thousand is twenty-five and not less or more and what is the reason?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, created all people, small, large, wealthy and poor. He made twenty-five destitute ones in every one thousand. If this much did not suffice, He would have levied more; He is their Creator and He knows more about them than they do.’” 