Zakatul-Fitr

The ruling on Zakatul-Fitr and its amount

Question :

Is Zakatul-Fitr obligatory or recommended? Who is it obligatory upon?

Answer:

Zakatul-Fitr is obligatory upon the Muslims, because the Prophet made it obligatory upon the male, the female, the child and the adult. Its amount is a Sa' of food or (i.e., which means) dried dates or barley or raisins or cottage cheese. He commanded for it to be given before the people come out to pray the Eid prayer. Thus, it is an obligation imposed by the Prophet. It is legislated to be given at the end of Ramadhan as purification for the fasting person from useless and foul speech, and to feed the poor people so they do not have to go around begging on the day of the 'Eid. And Allâh is the Giver of success.

The Food of Az-Zakah

Question :

What is the food that is permissible to give for Zakatul- Fitr?

Answer:

It is reported in the Hadith that it is to be given from five things. They are wheat, barley, dried dates, raisins and cottage cheese. However, some of the research scholars have mentioned that specifying these five things was done because they were being used at that time. Therefore, they permit giving it from whatever is the common food of the land, like rice for example, and corn in the land where it is used as food and so forth.

He forgot to give Zakatul-Fitr before the 'Eid prayer

Question :

I prepared Zakatul-Fitr before the 'Eid to be given to a poor person whom I know. However, I forgot to give it. I did not remember it until the 'Eid prayer, so I gave it after the prayer. What is the ruling on this?

Question :

There is no doubt that the Sunnah is to give the Zakatul- Fitr before the 'Eid prayer as the noble Prophet ordered this. However, there is no sin on you for what you did. Giving it after the prayer suffices, and all praise is due to Allâh, even though it is mentioned in a Hadith that it is a charity from the charities (i.e., Sadaqah). However, that does not prevent it from being acceptable and falling in its appropriate place. We hope that it is accepted and that it will be considered a complete Zakah, as you did not delay it intentionally. You only delayed it due to forgetfulness. Verily, Allâh said in His Noble Book:
"Our Lord, do not punish us if we forget or fall into error."

It is confirmed from the Prophet that he said:
"Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says, 'Verily I have done so (ie., accepted your prayer)

Thus, He answered the supplication of His believing servants in not punishing them for forgetfulness.

The ruling on delaying the Zakah of Wealth and Zakatul-Fitr

Question :

Is it permissible for a person to keep the Zakah of his wealth or Zakatul-Fitr in order to give it to one of the poor people who he is not able to get in touch with yet?

Answer:

If the amount of time is short and not long, there is no harm in him keeping it until he can give it to some of the poor people among his relatives or someone who is poorer or in more dire need. However, it should not be a long period of time. It should only be a number of days that are not numerous. This is in reference to the Zakah of wealth. Concerning Zakatul-Fitr, it should not be delayed for later. Rather, it is obligatory to pay it before the 'Eid prayer, as the Prophet ordered. It may be given before the 'Eid by a day or two or three. There is no harm in that. However, it should not be delayed until after the prayer.

The ruling on giving Money for Zakatul-Fitr

Question :

What is the ruling on giving money for Zakatul-Fitr, because there is someone who says that it is permis- sible?

Answer:

It is not unknown to any Muslim that the most important pillar of the upright religion of Islam is the testimony that none has the right to be worshipped but Allâh and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allâh. The testimony that none has the right to be worshipped but Allâh necessitates that none should be worshipped but Allâh alone. The testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allâh necessitates that Allâh not be worshipped except with what the Messenger of Allâh sanctioned. Zakatul-Fitr is an act of worship according to the consensus of the Muslims, and the fundamental principle regarding acts of worship is that they are Tawqaf (i.e., limited to whatever there is a text for). Therefore, it is not permissible for anyone to seek to worship Allâh with any act of worship except with what is taken from the wise person who was the source of Islamic legislation (i.e., Prophet Muhammad). He is the one for whom His Lord, Blessed is He the Most High, said:
"And he (Muhammad) does not speak from (his own) desire. It is only a revelation that is revealed (to him)."

And he said concerning that:
"Whoever introduces into this matter of ours that which is not of it, then it is rejected.

And he said:
"Whoever does a deed that is not from our matter, then it is rejected..

He legislated Zakatul-Fitr by that which is confirmed from him in the authentic Hadiths as a Sa' of food or (i.e., meaning) a Sa' of dried dates or a Sa' of barley or a Sa' of raisins or a Sa' of cottage cheese. Indeed Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded from 'Abdullah bin 'Umar that he said:

"The Messenger of Allah obligated Zakatul-Fitr as a Sa' of dried dates or a Sa of barley upon the slave and the free man, the male and the female, and the child and the adult among the Muslims. He commanded that it be given before the people come out to the prayer."

They (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) also both recorded from Abu Sa'id that he said:

"We used to give it (Zakatul-Fitr) in the time of the Prophet as a Sa of food or (i.e., meaning) a Sa' of dried dates or a Sa' of barley or a Sa' of raisins."

In another narration he said: "and a Sa' of cottage cheese."

Hence, this is the Sunnah of Muhammad regarding Zakatul- Fitr. It is known that during the time of the legislating- and this giving - of Zakatul-Fitr, dinars and dirhams (i.e., gold and silver coins) existed - especially in Al-Madinah - among the Muslims. These were the two leading forms of currency at that time and yet he (the Prophet) did not mention them in regards to Zakatul-Fitr. If either of them were acceptable for Zakatul-Fitr, he would have clarified that, as it is not permissible to delay explanation past the time of need. If this explanation had occurred, the Companions would have acted upon it (i.e., by giving money).

What has been related concerning the Zakah of the livestock animal, of the known permission to give another animal in place of what is to be given, this is conditional upon that which is obligatory to give not being available. This allowance is specifically for that which it has been narrated concerning. As was mentioned earlier, the fundamental principle regarding acts of worship is At-Tawqeef. We do not know of anyone of the Prophet's Companions giving money for Zakatul-Fitr, and they were the most knowledgeable people of his Sunnah and the most devout people in following it. If anything like this had occurred among them, it would have been reported just as other things were reported from their statements and deeds that were related to the matters of Islamic legislation. Indeed Allâh, glory is unto Him the Most High, said:
"Verily there is an excellent example for you all in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad)."

And He, the Mighty and Majestic, said:
"And the first and foremost (to believe) from the Muhajirun (immigrants to Al-Madinah) and the Ansar (the citizens of Al- Madinah who helped the Muhajirun) and those who followed them in goodness, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. And He has prepared for them Gardens with rivers flowing beneath them. They will abide therein forever. That is the supreme success.

From what we have mentioned, it becomes clear to the person who follows the truth that giving money for Zakatul-Fitr is not permissible and it does not suffice for whoever gives it because he is opposing what has been mentioned of the legislative evidences. I ask Allâh to help us and the rest of the Muslims to understand His religion, be firm upon it and beware of everything that opposes His Law. Verily, He is Most Generous, Most Noble. May Allâh send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and his Companions.

The Sunnah is to distribute the Zakatul-Fitr among the poor People of the Land

Question :

In reference to the food for Zakatul-Fitr, is it to be distributed among the poor people of our land or other than them? If we travel three days before the 'Eid, what do we do regarding Zakatul-Fitr?

Answer:

The Sunnah is to distribute Zakatul-Fitr among the poor people of the land on the morning of the 'Eid day before the prayer. It is permissible to distribute it a day or two before that, starting from the 28th (of Ramadhan). If someone who must pay Zakatul-Fitr, travels two days or more before the 'Eid, he should give it in the Islamic land that he is travelling to. If he is travelling to lands that are not Islamic, he should find some poor Muslims and give it to them. If his travel was after the permitted time to give it, then its intent is to show beneficence and kindness to them (the poor) and prevent them from begging from the people during the days of the 'Eid.

The ruling on giving Zakatul-Fitr to the Fiqh Scholar of the Land

Question :

Verily we collect Az-Zakah (i.e., Zakatul-Fitr) and we give it to the Faqih (i.e., Fiqh scholar of the land).

Whoever fasts, he must give the Zakatul-Fitr to the Faqih. Are we right in doing so?

Answer:

If this Faqih is trustworthy and he will give it to the poor people, there is no harm in the people giving him their Zakah. However, it is to be given a day or two before the 'Eid and the Faqih should give it out on the day of the 'Eid.

Zakatul-Fitr is only given to the poor People

Question :

Concerning Zakatul-Fitr, if a person is in a desert area far from the city and his neighbors are middle class nearly equal in regards to wealth - they are not rich nor are they poor may some of them be given from it (Zakatul-Fitr) or not?

Answer:

From the wisdoms behind the legislation of Zakatul-Fitr is fulfilling the need of the poor on that day. So, whoever is not poor, then he should not be given Zakatul-Fitr. A person who is able should prepare the Zakatul-Fitr and distribute it among the poor in the closest land to him, and if he is able he may appoint someone to represent him in a land that has poor people. This representative is to distribute it to the poor in the time that is designated for giving it.

Source:
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 3 Pages from 203 to 210