“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about charity (Zakat). He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not accepted from you.’ He (the narrator) then said, ‘I take it from my own assets.’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said to him, ‘Instruct your Zakat collector not to move from house to house, bring together what is apart and separate what is together. When he approaches people’s assets he should make the sheep stand in two groups, then allow the owner to choose one of the two groups and allow him to have what he chooses. If the owner desires to have one, two or three sheep from the other group, allow him to have it. Thereafter receive his charity (Zakat). When charity (Zakat) is received, distribute it among those whom he (the owner of assets) wants. If something in exchange for the items received as Zakat is offered, then Zakat payer has the priority over others to have it, but if he does not want, it then can be sold (to others).”’