Zakat-ul-Fitr is a small amount that Muslims are obliged to pay as charity at the end of Ramadan. It is unanimously recognized by all schools of Islamic Law as a pious duty of every Muslim man or woman. The origin of the obligation can be dated to the month of Sha`ban in the second year of Hijrah. Ibn `Umar said: “Allah’s Messenger enjoined the payment of one Sa` of dates or one Sa` of barley as Zakat-ul-Fitr on every Muslim slave or free, male or female, young or old, and he ordered that it be paid before the people went out to offer the `Eid prayer”

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’ (2.176 kilograms or 4.797 pounds - or equal currency amount to buy this) 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 Allah be pleased with him) who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah 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 Allah (peace and blessings of Allah 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 Allah (peace and blessings of Allah 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.

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 Allah be pleased with him), who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) enjoined zakaat al-fitr, to be paid in Ramadan 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.

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 Allah.

When zakaat al-fitr should be paid

The time for paying zakaat al-fitr does not begin after the Eid prayer, rather it starts after sunset on the last day of Ramadan, which is the first night of the month of Shawwaal, and it ends with the Eid prayer.

. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded that it should be paid before the prayer. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever pays it before the prayer, it is accepted zakaah (i.e., zakaat al-fitr), and whoever pays it after the prayer, it is ordinary charity.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2/262-263, no. 1609; Ibn Maajah, 1/585, no. 1827; al-Daaraqutni, 2/138; al-Haakim, 1/409. It is permissible to pay it one or two days before that, because of the report narrated by Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) enjoined sadaqat al-fitr in Ramadan.” According to another report, they used to pay it one or two days before the end of Ramadan.

Whoever delays it after its time has sinned, and he has to repent for delaying and give it to the poor.

Its payment in money

The Hanafis permitted the payment of Zakat-ul-Fitr in money. This is the view of Al-Thawri, Al-Hasan al-Basri, and `Umar ibn `Abd al-`Aziz. However, the other three schools did not permit this. Their argument is that the Prophet did not do so and hence its payment in money contradicts the Sunnah of the Prophet. But some contemporary scholars support the Hanafi view since this is easier nowadays for the payer particularly in cities where people use only money for dealings. Among them are Sheikh Shaltut, al-Ghazali, and al-Qaradawi who mentioned earlier the two reasons for which the Prophet did not prescribe it in money. He also stated that the purpose of Zakat-ul-Fitr is to fulfil the needs of the poor and this is achieved also by payment in money and that in most cases and most countries the payment in money is more useful to the poor. He also mentioned that when the Prophet prescribed it from food, it was easy for the payer and useful for the recipient during that time. But nowadays to pay it in food is not useful for the poor because he cannot make use, for instance, of wheat or dates unless he sells them with any price, generally low, to buy his needs with the money.

Al-Qaradawi excluded the times of famines where the payment of food is more useful for the recipients and said that the criterion is the benefit of the poor so if food proves to be more useful as in times of famines and catastrophes, then its payment in kind is better. But if money is more useful, then its payment in money is better.

Nowadays, if we consider the condition in the Muslim world in general and that of Muslims in the West in particular we will discover that the second view is more convenient with the spirit of Islamic legislation and the present condition of Muslims. As we will see later when Muslims living in the West decide to transfer their Zakah funds or some of them to needy Muslims in Muslim countries, then the payment in money is more convenient.