Zakat ul Fitr - Rulings and Tips
It was ordained and made obligatory by Allah through the agency of the Prophet ﷺ upon every male and female, adult and young, among the Muslims. [al-Bukhari and Muslim]
[[http://www.sunnah.com/bukhari/24/113 / http://www.sunnah.com/muslim/12/16]]
Like all obligatory acts of worship, one should do their best to give it with Niyyah (proper intention) and Ihsaan (perfection); not just get it done in anyway it seems easy and convenient.
The head of the household should give out Zakat ul Fitr on behalf of all of his dependants.
Like all monetary obligations, one can deputize or entrust someone to do it on their behalf e.g. one can give money to credible charitable organizations who will buy foodstuff with it and give it to the poor and needy on time.
Obligation of Zakat-ul-Fitr has no connection whatsoever with the possession the Nisab required for the Zakat of wealth. Anyone who has the capability to give Zakat-ul-Fitr should give it, provided he has enough food left for himself and his dependants on that day.
A TIP: Inform your children about its obligation and its virtues, so they can at least partake in the intention. Better still, let them take an active part in its e.g. by letting them give it from their own pocket-money.
Zakat ul Fitr is an expiation of ones mistakes and minor sins committed while fasting, in addition to being a source of providence for the poor and the needy.
Ibn Abbas said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordained Zakat-ul-Fitr as a source of purification of the fasting person from futile and obscene talk, and as a source of food for the poor.” [Abu Daud (1609) and others with a fair Isnad].
The famous Imam from the Atbaa’ al-Tabi'een Wakee’ ibn al-Jarrah (d. 197) said: “Zakat al-Fitr is to Ramadan as Sujood al-Sahw is to Salaat, it makes up for the shortcomings in Ramdan just as the later makes up for shortcomings in Salaat”. [Tarikh Baghdad 11/576]
Zakat-ul-Fitr has been obligated in the form of foodstuff; so keep it as it is. Don’t act as if you know what is better for the poor more than Allah and His Messenger ﷺ by giving cash instead of foodstuff. No one has stopped you from being charitable to the poor and giving them money, clothes, etc, but keep the rite of Zakat-ul-Fitr as it is.
(( وَمَنْ يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ ))
“And whoever honours the rites decreed by Allah, then it is indeed (a manifestation) of the piety of their hearts.” [al-Hajj]
Zakat-ul-Fitr can be compared to the ritual sacrifice of Eid-ul-Adhaa. If someone were to give the price of the animal in charity instead of slaughtering it, he would not have fulfilled the highly recommended Sunnah of offering a sacrifice on that day; similarly, if one gives cash instead of foodstuff, the obligation of Zakat-ul-Fitr will not have been discharged according to the Sunnah.
(Yes, there were several Tabi'een who used to permit giving of money in Zakat-ul-Fitr, but there were others who didn’t agree, so we should stick to the Sunnah while being tolerant of those who hold the other opinion).
The Sahabah used to give Zakat-ul-Fitr from the foodstuff they used to eat: wheat, barley, dates, Aqit (dried yogurt clumps), or raisins. [http://www.sunnah.com/bukhari/24/111]
Rice, maize, dates, pasta, oats, couscous, chickpeas, lentils, whole-wheat flour, millet, breakfast cereals, dried milk powder, etc. all can be given as Zakat-ul-Fitr. One should give from the staple eaten by people in his area.
A TIP: Rice is cheep these days, most poor people can afford it. What they can’t afford is good quality dates. So why not give them what they cannot afford instead of what they can; your reward will be greater, and so will be their appreciation and happiness. And if one knows the poor family he will give it to, he might even ask them what type of foodstuff would they would prefer. And if you are giving them on behalf of your whole family you can give them various foods, e.g. a Saa’ of rice, a Saa'of dates, a Saa’ of oats, and so on.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has legislated that one Saa’ be given as Zakat-ul-Fitr on behalf of each person.
Saa’ is a unit of volume, not weight. It equals somewhere between 2.8 – 3.2 litres. As such, one Saa’ of different types of foodstuff will weigh differently, e.g. one Saa’ of rice might weigh upto 3 kg, while one Saa’ dried Sukkary dates weighs approx. 2kg, one Saa’ of whole wheat flour weighs approx 2.4 kg, and one Saa’ of cornflakes weighs less than 750 grams. So take a container or a bucket and empty into it two 1.5 litre water bottles, mark the 3-litre water level and then use it to measure one Saa’ of any foodstuff you want to give as Zakat-ul-Fitr. If you are too lazy to do that, just give out 3 kg of any foodstuff and it will suffice, because it will be equal to more than one Saa’ of most types of foods and grains.
It has to be given from a day or two before Eid till upto Salat-ul-Eid. [al-Bukhari and Muslim]
[[http://www.sunnah.com/bukhari/24/112 / http://www.sunnah.com/muslim/12/26]]
It is not allowed to delay it till after Eid prayer, otherwise it will not be counted as Zakat-ul-Fitr, rather it will be considered an ordinary Sadaqah.
Ibn Abbas said: “Whoever pays it before the Eid prayer, it will be an accepted as Zakah, and whoever pays it after the prayer it is just another (ordinary) charity.” [Abu Daud (1609) and others with a fair Isnad].
Those living in the Gulf region who deputize their family back home in India or Pakistan to give Zakat-ul-Fitr on their behalf should make sure that their family gives it before Eid prayer is offered in his place of residence, because normally Eid in those countries is a day or two later and that might lead them to delay his Zakah from its due time.
Zakat-ul-Fitr is only given to the poor and needy as opposed to the eight types of beneficiaries of the Zakat of wealth specified in Surah Taubah, verse 60.
It is preferable that it is given to the needy within the community where the person is residing.
Can the poor non-Muslims residing in that community be given from Zakat-ul-Fitr? It has been authentically reported from ‘Amr ibn Shurahbeel (a senior Tabi'ee and student of ibn Mas'ud) that he used to collect Zakat-ul-Fitr in the local Masjid and then distribute it among the needy and give some of it to (Christian) monks also. [Musannaf Abdir Razzaq (5849)]. But most scholars are of the opinion that it should be given only to Muslims. As such, the safest approach is not to give them from Zakat-ul-Fitr, but from other voluntary charity and donations. Allah knows best.
May Allah accept our good deeds, and forgive us our shortcomings, and may His salutations be upon our guide and master Muhammad, his wives, progeny, and companions.
Written by: Nabeel Nisar Sheikh, the 27th of Ramadan, 1436.
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