Ruling on zakaat al-fitr and how much is to be paid
Sadaqat al-fitr is obligatory upon every Muslim who is self-supporting, if he has one saa’ or more than he needs of food for himself and his family on the day and night of Eid.
The basis for that is the report narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined zakaat al-fitr, a saa’ of dates, or a saa’ of barley, upon all the Muslims, slave and free, male and female, young and old, and he commanded that it be paid before the people went out to pray.” Agreed upon; this version was narrated by al-Bukhaari.
And Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri narrated: “We used to pay zakaat al-fitr when the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was alive, a saa’ of food or a saa’ of dates or a saa’ of barley or a saa’ of raisins or a saa’ of dried yoghurt.” Agreed upon.
It is acceptable to give a saa’ of the local staple food such as rice etc.
What is meant by a saa’ here is the saa’ of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), which is four times the amount that may be held in the two hands of a man of average build. If a person does not pay zakaat al-fitr, he is sinning, and he has to make it up.
With regard to the hadeeth mentioned, we do not know whether it is saheeh or not.
We ask Allaah to give you strength and to make our words and deeds and yours righteous.
And Allaah is the Source if strength.
Zakaat al-Fitr is food, not money, and it is to be given to needy Muslims only
Praise be to Allaah.
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made giving a saa’ of dates or a saa’ of barley as Zakaat al-Fitr an obligation for all Muslims, slave and free, male and female, young and old, and ordered that it should be given before the people went out to pray (Salaat al-Eid).” (Al-Bukhaari, 1503).
Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “We used to pay as Zakaat al-Fitr a saa’ of food or a saa’ of barley (which was their food at that time) or a saa’ or dates or a saa’ of aqit (dried yoghurt) or a saa’ of raisins.” (1506)
From this it is clear that Zakaat al-Fitr must be food, not money, so we must adhere to what has been recorded in the Sunnah. So give one saa’ of whatever is the staple food in your country, such as rice or wheat, for example, on behalf of yourself and each member of your household. (A saa’ is equivalent to approximately 3 kilograms). It is not permissible to give it to anyone except a needy Muslim. If you cannot find anyone in your own country, you can delegate someone else to give it on your behalf in another country. May Allaah help us and you to do the duties that He loves. And Allaah knows best.
Giving the price of zakaat al-fitr to a charitable organization at the beginning of Ramadaan
Praise be to Allaah.
If there are no poor people in the area, or those who will take it do not really need it and will not eat it, but will instead sell it at half price, and it is difficult to find poor and needy people who will eat it, then it is permissible to send it outside the country. It is permissible to give the price (of zakaat al-fitr) at the beginning of the month to an agent who will buy (zakaat al-fitr) and deliver it to deserving people at the time when it should be paid, which is the night before Eid or two days before that.
And Allaah knows best.
Al-Fataawa al-Jibreeniyyah fi’l-A’maal al-Da’wiyyah li Fadeelat al-Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen, p. 33
To whom should zakaat al-fitr be given?
Zakaat al-fitr should be given to the poor Muslims in the land or city where it is given, because of the report narrated by Abu Dawood from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined zakaat al-fitr, to be paid in Ramadaan to feed the poor…” It is permissible to send it to the poor of another land whose people are in greater need. It is not permissible to spend it on building a mosque or other charitable projects.
The Standing Committee for Research and Issuing Fatwas.
To whom should zakaat al-fitr be paid?
Zakaat al-fitr should be given to poor Muslims even if they are sinners so long as their sin is not something that puts them beyond the pale of Islam. What is meant by poor is those who appear to be poor, even if they are in fact rich. The one who is paying the zakaah should seek out good poor people as much as possible. If he finds out later that the one who took it was actually rich, that does not affect the one who gave it, rather he has discharged his duty, praise be to Allaah.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Should zakaat al-fitr be given to one person, or distributed among several?
Praise be to Allaah.
It is permissible to give zakaat al-fitr on behalf of one person to one person, and it is also permissible to distribute it among a number of people.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas, Fatwa no. 1204
Zakaat al-Fitr on behalf of a foetus
It is mustahabb to pay it because of what ‘Uthmaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) did, but it is not obligatory because there is no evidence to that effect.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas, 9/366
Ruling on buying food for Zakaat al-Fitr a little early
Praise be to Allaah.
We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who answered as follows:
There is nothing wrong with the centre buying food a little early and then selling it to those who want to pay Zakaat al-Fitr, and then distributing it within the prescribed time.
The rate of zakaat al-fitr
It was narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined zakaat al-fitr upon the Muslims at a rate of one saa’ of dates or one saa’ of barley, and he commanded that it should be given before the people went out to pray – i.e., the Eid prayers. In al-Saheehayn it is narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “At the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) we used to give it at a rate of one saa’ of food, or one saa’ of dates, or one saa’ of barley, or one saa’ of cheese, or one saa’ of raisins…”
A number of scholars interpreted the word ta’aam (food) in this hadeeth as referring to wheat, and others explained it as referring to the staple food of the local people, no matter what it is, whether it is wheat, corn or something else. This is the correct view, because the zakaah is a kind of help given by the rich to the poor, and the Muslim should not offer help with anything other than the staple food of his country. What must be given is a saa’ of all kinds of food, which is four times the amount scooped up with two hands, which is approximately three kilograms. If the Muslim gives a saa’ of rice or some other staple food of his country, that is fine.
It first becomes due on the night of the twenty-eighth of Ramadaan, because the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to give it one or two days before Eid, and the month lasts twenty-nine or thirty days.
The latest it may be given is at the Eid prayer, but it is not permissible to delay it until after the prayer, because of the report narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever gives it before the prayer, it is accepted zakaah, and whoever gives it after the prayer, it is a kind of charity.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood).
It is not permissible to pay the value in money, according to the majority of scholars, and the evidence for this view is more sound. Rather it should be given in the form of food, as was done by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) and the majority of the ummah. We ask Allaah to help us and all the Muslims to understand His religion and adhere steadfastly to it. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him). Majallat al-Buhooth al-Islamiyyah, issue no. 17, pp. 79-80.
Adding something extra to zakaat al-fitr
Zakaat al-Fitr is one saa’ of wheat or dates or rice etc., the local staple food, for one person, male or female, old or young. There is nothing wrong with giving more as zakaat al-fitr as you have done, with the intention of giving charity, even if you do not tell the poor person about it.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas, 9/370.
Is zakaat al-fitr due from one who did not fast in Ramadaan because of a valid excuse?
Praise be to Allaah.The majority of scholars, including the four imams and others, are of the view that zakaat al-fitr is due from the Muslim even if he did not fast Ramadaan. No one else differed from that except Sa’eed ibn al-Musayyab and al-Hasan al-Basri, who said that zakaat al-fitr is due only from those who fasted. But the correct view is that of the majority, because of the following evidence:
1 –The general meaning of the hadeeth which is the basis for zakaat al-fitr being obligatory:
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined zakaat al-fitr, a saa’ of dates or a saa’ of barley, upon everyone, slave or free, male or female, young or old, and he enjoined that it be paid before the people went out to pray. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1503) and Muslim (984).
The word “young” includes small children who cannot fast.
2 – When charity and zakaah are enjoined, it is usually to help the poor and needy, and is aimed at achieving some degree of social security, and the most obvious case is zakaat al-fitr, which is enjoined upon young and old, free and slave, male and female, and the Lawgiver did not stipulate any minimum threshold (nisaab) or the passage of one year for it to be obligatory. Hence the fact that it is obligatory for those who did not fast in Ramadaan, with or without an excuse, is implied in the purpose for which this zakaah is prescribed.
3 – With regard to the argument of those who quoted as evidence the words of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined zakaat al-fitr as a purification for the fasting person from idle talk and obscene speech, and to feed the poor. Narrated by Abu Dawood (1609)
They said: The words “as a purification for the fasting person” means that zakaat al-fitr is obligatory only for those who fasted. Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar responded to that in al-Fath (3/369) where he said:
My response is that mentioning purification refers to the usual case (as most people fast), just as it is also required of those who did not commit sin, such as one who is very righteous or one who became Muslim a moment before the sun set. End quote.
What this means is that in most cases zakaat al-fitr is prescribed because it is a purification for the one who fasted, but attaining this purification is not a condition of it being obligatory. A similar case is the zakaah of one’s wealth, which has also been prescribed in order to purify the soul:
“Take Sadaqah (alms) from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it, and invoke Allaah for them. Verily, your invocations are a source of security for them; and Allaah is All-Hearer, All-Knower” [al-Tawbah 9:103]
Despite that zakaah is obligatory in the case of wealth belonging to a small child who does not need to be purified, because no bad deeds are recorded for him.
Shaykh Ibn Jibreen gave another response, and said:
It is paid on behalf of children and those who are not accountable, and those who did not fast because of an excuse such as sickness or travel. So the purification is for the guardians of those who are not accountable, and it is a purification for the one who did not fast because of an excuse, on the assumption that he will fast once the excuse is no longer in effect, so it is purification in advance, before he fasts or completes his fast. End quote.
Fataawa al-Zakaah (zakaat al-fitr/2)
And Allaah knows best.
Paying zakaat al-fitr on behalf of the dead
Praise be to Allaah.Zakaat al-fitr is obligatory for all Muslims, males and females, old and young, as stated by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
It is only required from the living who are present at the time when it becomes due.
The time when zakaat al-fitr becomes due is when the sun sets on the last day of Ramadaan, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) called it sadaqat al-fitr, and fitr or breaking the fast of Ramadaan comes when the sun sets on the night of Eid (i.e., the night before Eid). It is a purification for the fasting person from any idle or obscene speech, and the fast ends when the sun sets.
If a person dies before the time it become obligatory, he does not have to pay this zakaah. If a person lives until the time when it becomes obligatory, then dies before paying it, then it should be paid on his behalf from his wealth because it is still a duty that he owes and becomes a debt that must be paid on his behalf.
See: al-Majmoo’, 6/84; al-Mugni, 2/358; al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 23/341
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
If a person dies before the sun sets on the night before Eid, he does not have to pay zakaat al-fitr, because he died before it became obligatory. End quote.
Fiqh al-‘Ibaadaat, p. 211
In conclusion: The deceased person is responsible for this if he died after the time when it became obligatory, which is sunset on the night before Eid. In that case it must be paid on his behalf.
If he died before the time when it became obligatory – which appears to be the case in the question asked here – then this zakaah is not obligatory.
If your grandmother gave charity such as food, money, etc on his behalf, then it is charity given on his behalf and is not zakaat al-fitr.
It is proven in more than one hadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that charity given on behalf of the dead benefits them and the reward reaches them.
And Allaah knows best.
Is zakaat al-fitr obligatory upon a poor person and his family?
A poor person supports his family, consisting of his mother, father and children. Eid al-Fitr is coming and he only has a saa’ of food. Who should pay it on his behalf?
If the situation of this poor person is as described in the question, then he should pay the saa’ of food on behalf of himself, if it is surplus to his needs and the needs of those whom he is supporting on the day and night of Eid, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Start with yourself and then with your dependents.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2/117, 6/190; Muslim, 2/717, 718, 721, no. 1034, 1036, 1042.
With regard to his dependents, if they do not have anything to give in zakaah on behalf of themselves, then they are not obliged to pay it, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope” [al-Baqarah 2:286]
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no sadaqah except for one who has the means.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2/117, 6/190; Muslim, 2/717, no. 1034. And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If I command you to do a thing, then do as much of it as you can.”
And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas
Giving meat for zakaat al-fitr
Praise be to Allaah.Zakaat al-fitr must be given in the form of the people’s staple food, because of the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (1510) from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: At the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) we used to give on the day of (Eid) al-Fitr a saa’ of foodstuff. And Abu Sa’eed said: Our (staple) food was barley, raisins, dried yoghurt and dates.
If the staple food of people in your country is meat, then it is permissible to give it as zakaat al-fitr.
Shaykh al-Islam (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (25/68): If the staple food of the people is one of these types, then it is undoubtedly permissible to give their staple food. But can they give staple foods other than these? Such as if their staple food is rice or corn, do they have to give wheat or barley, or is it acceptable for them to give rice and corn? There is a well known difference of scholarly opinion concerning that. The more correct of the two opinions is that the staple food should be given, even if it is not one of these types. This is the view of most of the scholars, such as al-Shaafa’i and others. The basic principle behind giving charity is to help the poor, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “on a scale of the average of that with which you feed your own families” [al-Maa’idah 5:89]. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined zakaat al-fitr, a saa’ of dates or a saa’ of barley, because these were the staple foods of the people of Madeenah. If their staple food had been something else, he would not have enjoined them to give something that was not their staple food, just as Allaah did not enjoin that in the case of expiation. End quote.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in I’laam al-Muwaqqi’een (3/12): This was the usual staple food in Madeenah. As for people in another country or place where their staple food is something else, they have to give a saa’ of their staple food, such as if their staple food is corn or rice or figs or some other grain. If their staple food is not a kind of grain, such as milk, meat or fish, then they should give their zakaat al-fitr in the form of their staple food, no matter what it is. This is the view of the majority of scholars, and it is the correct view, and no other can be suggested. The aim is to meet the needs of the poor on the day of Eid and to help them by giving them the staple food of the local people. Based on this, it is acceptable to give flour even though it is not mentioned in any saheeh hadeeth. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (6/182): But if the people’s staple food is not a grain or a crop, rather it is meat for example, like those who live at the North Pole, whose staple food is primarily meat, then the correct view is that it is acceptable to give it. End quote.
And Allaah knows best.
It is not permissible to waive a debt and count that as zakaah
It was narrated in al-Saheehayn from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Mu’aadh ibn Jabal, when he sent him to Yemen: “Teach them that Allaah has enjoined upon them zakaah on their wealth, to be taken from their rich and given to their poor.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained that zakaah is something which is to be taken and given, so on this basis it is not permissible to let off someone who owes you money and count that as zakaah, because letting someone off a debt does not involve taking and giving.
Shaykh al-Islam mentioned this issue and said: letting someone off a debt does not relieve one of the obligation of zakaah, and there is no scholarly dispute on this matter. But you can give this needy person some of your zakaah and he can meet his needs using what you give him as zakaah; and Allaah will help him to pay off his debt in the future, in sha Allaah.
Fataawa Manaar al-Islam by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 1, p. 309-310.
Paying zakaah al-fitr one week before Eid
Praise be to Allaah.Firstly:
The scholars differed concerning the earliest time when zakaah al-fitr may be paid, and there are several views.
1 – That it should be paid two days before Eid. This is the view of the Maalikis and Hanbalis. They quoted as evidence the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: They used to give (zakaat) al-fitr one or two days before (Eid). Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1511).
Some of them said it may be given three days before Eid, because of the report in al-Mudawwanah (1/385) according to which Maalik said: Naafi’ told me that Ibn ‘Umar used to send zakaat al-fitr to the one who was collecting it two or three days before (Eid) al-Fitr.
This view was favoured by Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) as it says in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (14/216).
2 –That it is permissible to give it from the beginning of Ramadaan. This is the view of the Hanafis and is the correct view according to the Shaafa’is. See: al-Umm (2/75), al-Majmoo’ (6/87) and Badaa’i’ al_Sanaa’i’ (2/74).
They said: because the reason for giving charity is fasting and then breaking the fast, so if one of these two reasons is present it is permissible to hasten it, just as it is permissible to hasten giving the zakaah of one's wealth after taking possession of the nisaab and before one full year has passed.
3 – That it is permissible to give it from the beginning of the year. This is the view of some of the Hanafis and some of the Shaafa’is. They said: because it is zakaah and they likened it to the zakaah of one’s wealth with regard to paying it in advance in all cases.
The most correct view is the first one.
Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni (2/676):
The reason why it is obligatory is the breaking of the fast, which is indicated by the fact that it is mentioned in conjunction with it. The purpose behind it is to make the poor independent of means at a specific time, and it is not permissible to pay it in advance of that time. End quote.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked, as it says in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (18/zakaat al-fitr/question no. 180):
I paid zakaat al-fitr at the beginning of Ramadaan in Egypt before I came to Makkah, and now I am staying in Makkah al-Mukarramah. Do I have to pay zakaat al-fitr?
He replied:
Yes, you have to pay zakaat al-fitr, because you paid it before its time came. The phrase “zakaat al-fitr” is composed of two words, which explains the reason for the zakaah, which is breaking the fast (fitr).
So zakaat al-fitr is mentioned in conjunction with the fitr (breaking of the fast) because that is the reason for it, and it is known that breaking the fast of Ramadaan occurs only on the last day of Ramadaan, so it is not permissible to pay zakaat al-fitr except when the sun has set on the last day of Ramadaan, except that there is a concession allowing it to be paid one or two days before. Otherwise the proper time for it is after sunset on the last day of Ramadaan, because that is the time when the Ramadaan fast is to be broken. Hence we say that it is better to pay it on the morning of Eid if possible. End quote.
Secondly:
It is permissible to give zakaat al-fitr to a deputy to pay it on your behalf through a charity or trustworthy people etc at the beginning of the month, so long as you stipulate to the deputy that it is to be paid one or two days before Eid, because the proper way of paying it is to give it to poor and needy people who are entitled to it; this is what is mentioned in sharee’ah, that it is limited to one or two days before Eid. Acting as someone’s deputy in paying it comes under the heading of cooperating in righteousness and piety, and there is no time limit for that.
To conclude: Paying zakaat al-fitr one week before Eid is not valid, and you have to pay it again, unless you gave it to someone whom you delegated to pay it such as a charitable organization that will pay it at the proper time, one or two days before Eid. In that case you have done what is required of you and it is regarded as zakaah that is valid and acceptable in sha Allaah.
And Allaah knows best.