4 diffraction (XRPD) data were recorded on a Seifert powder diffractometer equipped with a monochromator to provide the Cu K α radiation. The XRPD data were analyzed by means of the Rietveld profile procedure 15 using the program FullProf $^{16}$. The final composition of the crystal was checked by EDX analysis on a FE-SEM Tescan. The Laue technique was also used for crystal orientation. Samples appropriate by shape for the magnetization and specific heat measurements were cut by a fine wire saw (South Bay Technology Inc, type 810). The sample for the magnetization measurements had the form of a small beam (1 x 1 x 1.5 mm $^{3}$) with the rectangular planes oriented perpendicular to the crystallographic axes a and c , respectively. The specific-heat samples were small plates (1.5x1.5x0.2 mm $^{3}$) with the main-plate plane perpendicular to the a - and c -axis, respectively. The orientation of each prepared sample was subsequently revised again by Laue technique. The specific-heat, AC susceptibility and magnetization measurements were performed using the Quantum Design PPMS (Physical Property Measurement System) and the MPMS (Magnetic Property Mea- surement System), respectively. The specific heat was measured at temperatures from 1.8 to 300 K in magnetic fields up to 9 T. The magnetization was measured in a temperature range from 1.8 to 400 K and in magnetic fields 0 - 14 T. The AC susceptibility was measured from 1.8 to 30 K in an AC magnetic field 0.03 mT with a frequency of 497 Hz. The magnetic field was applied along the a - and c -axis, respectively. To obtain direct information about the ground-state electronic structure and magnetic properties, we applied theoretical methods from first principles. The ground-state electronic structure was calculated on the basis of density functional theory (DFT) within the local spin density approximation (LSDA) 17 and generalized gradient approximation (GGA) $^{18}$. For this purpose, we used the full potential augmented plane wave plus local-orbitals method (APW + lo) as implemented in the latest version (WIEN2k) of the original WIEN code $^{19}$. The calculations were scalar relativistic and performed with the following parameters: non-overlapping atomic spheres (AS) radii of 2.8, 2.5 and 2.0 a.u. (1 a.u. = 52.91 pm) were taken for Sm, Pd and Al, respectively; the basis for the expansion of the valence electron states (less than 6 Ry below the Fermi energy) consisted of more than 800 basis functions (more than 130 APW/atom) plus Sm ( 5s , 5p ), Pd ( 4p ) and Al ( 2p ) local orbitals. The results of our experimental analysis suggest that the 4f electrons are localized atomic-like. Therefore the Sm 4f states were treated in an open-core approximation with the stable atomic configuration 4f $^{5}$. The wave functions in the AS region were expanded up to l = 12 and a density GMAX = 14 was used for