Questions
Zakatul Fitr, Sadaqatul Fitr
The word combinations “Zakatul Fitr” and “Sadaqatul Fitr” are different names of an obligatory kind of Zakah that is paid in the month of Ramadan immediately after its end.[1]
This kind of Zakah became obligatory in the second year of Hijrah.
Ibn ‘Umar narrated: ”The Messenger of God the Most High (may Allah greet and bless him) made Zakatul Fitr obligatory. This alms tax is equal to 1 Sa’ of dates or 1 Sa’ of barley. It is obligatory for everyone: both for men and women, children and adults from among Muslims. The Prophet ordered us to pay it till the Feast Prayer”.[2]
“Sa’” mentioned in the hadith is a dry measure that is equal to about 3260 gr according to the scholars of the Hanafit school of thought, and – 2172 gr in the opinion of the other Islamic scholars.[3] Differences on the issue arose because of the fact that in different regions people who sold dry substances used measuring vessels different in their volume.[4]
The importance of Zakatul Fitr are expressed in the following hadith transmitted by Ibn ‘Abbas: ”Prophet Muhammad (may Allah greet and bless him) made obligatory the payment of Zakatul Fitr for the sake of the purification of a fasting person from empty or blunt words which he said to somebody, and as a source of nutrition for the needy [as a kind of support, help to them]. If a man carries out this duty [transmits or pays this alms in time] before the festive prayer, his action will be accepted as a Zakah [one of the kinds of the obligatory alms which, with God’s mercy, will be accepted by Him], whereas if he performs this duty after the Prayer, it will be equal to alms which man regularly gives”.[5]
Zakatul Fitr is the tax of fast-breaking which is paid by every member of the family before the beginning of the festive prayer.[6] The payment of this tax is the final condition so that God the Most High accepts the fast of a fasting person. This poor-due is paid first of all in favour of needy and poor Muslims; it is also used for other charity purposes.[7] It is obligatory both for adults and children. This charity tax is paid by the parents on behalf of their children. It should be transmitted before the Festival of Fast-breaking (‘Idul Fitr, Uraza Bairam) begins.[8]
Questions on the subject
Question. Who exactly is supposed to give these obligatory alms?
Answer. It is the head of the family who pays (or gives provisions) the tax for himself and for all those whom he maintains financially.
Whereas those of your relatives, even though close parents of yours, who have their own income and a separate family budget, should pay Zakatul Fitr on their own.
The most important thing is that the head of the family should pay the tax for his wife and small children. At the same time, it is also admissible if the wife wishes to pay Zakatul Fitr independently, from her own savings.[9]
As far as other relatives are concerned, everything depends on the current situation and agreement.
Question. If a man observes his fast, but he isn’t well off, i.e. he is a needy person, is he to pay Zakatul Fitr?
Answer. Islamic theologians have two different opinions on the subject due to the lack of a clear explanation in the texts of hadith.
First. The majority of scholars believed that he, who has provisions and everything required for himself and his family on the holiday and at the same time has the possibility to pay (transmit in provisions) Zakatul Fitr, is ought to do it.
Second. Man must be from among those who annually pay the obligatory Zakah which is one of the five pillars of faith. If a believer meets these criteria, he should pay Zakatul Fitr on his behalf and on the behalf of those whom he maintains financially. Drawing an analogy between Zakatul Fitr and the annual obligatory Zakah the theologians of the Hanafi school of thought took this stand on the subject.
Question. To whom is this kind of Zakah transmitted?
Answer. Islamic scholars are unanimous in that Zakatul Fitr is paid in the same eight directions as the annual Zakah.[10]
Question. Is it admissible to transmit Zakatul Fitr to non-Muslims?
Answer. No, it isn’t. Theologians are unanimous on this point.[11]
Question. When does the term of paying Zakatul Fitr begin and when does it end?
Answer. The term of the payment of Zakatul Fitr starts together with the beginning of Ramadan. This was the opinion of the major part of Islamic theologians, among whom also were the scholars of the Shafi’i and Hanafi schools of thought.
It would be more advisable to pay Zakatul Fitr (or to transmit it in provisions) one or two days before the Festival of Fast-breaking (‘Idul Fitr) ends.
It would be most relevant to pay Zakatul Fitr within the period from the sunset on the last fasting day till the morning, before the beginning of the Feast Prayer.
If a believer didn’t do it before the Feast Prayer, the payment of the poor-due remains obligatory all the same. It is especially desirable that this duty be completed on the first feast day. According to all scholars, it is sinful to postpone it.[12]
Question. If a man didn’t pay Zakatul Fitr before the Feast Prayer, may he pay it after the festive prayer? Are these alms still obligatory in this case?
Answer. After the festive prayer is performed the payment of this charity is still obligatory.
Question. Is it permissible that a head of a family consisting of five members transmits Zakatul Fitr on behalf of his whole family to only one person?
Answer. According to the majority of scholars it is possible.[13]
Question. Is it admissible, especially in the present urban conditions, to calculate the value of the provisions mentioned in the hadith and give the alms in the form of money and bring it to the local mosque? And, if for example, I know a poor family, may I bring them a bag with fresh food, the value of which will be much more than 1 Sa’ of dates or barley, a day before the holiday?
Answer. I think that it would be useful to quote the words of a contemporary theologian Yusuf al-Qardawi: “This form of Zakah (Zakatul Fitr) has a certain value that was defined by the Prophet (may Allah greet and bless him). It accounts for 1 Sa’. And I think that the wisdom of this provision consists in the following:
First. In those days few people had money, especially those of them who lived in a desert, far from towns. And the products of their labour were the most common form of Zakah: dates, barley, etc.
Second. The price and value of certain monetary units, currencies often changes, whereas some of them even disappear. That’s why there is nothing to be surprised at when the value of Zakatul Fitr, which is declared annually in the monetary units of this or that Arab state, changes every year.
It is through the dry measure of Sa’ (converting it to the traditional weight measures) that one can measure the necessary value of provisions and money that will be sufficient to nourish one family.
Islamic scholars said that the form of paying Zakatul Fitr is not restricted to the provisions mentioned in the hadith (dates, barley, wheat or raisins), but conditioned by the provisions that are most widely spread in the region. The scholars of the Hanafit school of thought also spoke about the possibility of paying Zakatul Fitr in the monetary equivalent.
If the man, who pays this form of the obligatory alms, is well off, he had better pay more than 1 Sa’”.[14]
In many countries, including Arab states, where the mazhab of Imam ash-Shafi’i dominates in the religious practice, the value of Zakatul Fitr in the monetary equivalent is announced both on the national and local levels; the monetary equivalent is announced in advance in the mosques and through the mass media. Believers bring Zakatul Fitr to the mosque or give it directly to the poor. Very often people bring the monetary equivalent of Zakatul Fitr to the relevant ministries and departments which in their turn allocate these resources in favour of the poor and orphans in the form which is most useful and appropriate for the latter.
In the end I would like to note that he, who listens to the recommendations of the Muftis and Imams, who are able to assess a specific situation both from canonical and practical aspects, acts in the wisest way.
Wal-lahu a’lam (Only Allah has the most complete knowledge!)
[1] See further.
[2]Hadith from Ibn ‘Umar; the holy hadith from al-Bukhari, Muslim and others. See: Al-‘Askalani A. Fath al-bari bi sharh sahih al-bukhari: 14 volumes. Volume 3, p. 430, hadith ¹ 1503, see also hadith ¹ 1508, 1510.
[3] Mu’jamu lugati al-fukaha’ [The Dictionary of Theological Terms]. Beirut: an-Nafais, 1988.p. 270.
[4] You may come across the figures that would differ a little from the adduced ones. Those figures that have been mentioned above are taken from a very authoritative dictionary of theological terms.
[5] See: Abu Daud. Sunan abi daud [The hadith collection of Abu Daud]: 4 volumes. Egypt: as-Sa’ada, 1950 (1369 A.H.), volume 2, p. 149, 150, hadith ¹ 1609; ash-Shawkani M. Neyl al-avtar: 10 volumes. Volume 5, p. 243.
[6] Mu’jamu lugati al-fukaha’. P. 233.
[7] See: the Holy Qur’an, 9:60. For more details on whom Zakah is paid to and for what reasons it is used see: S. Alyautdinov The way to faith and perfection, 3rd edition, p. 276.
[8] See: Al-‘Askalani A. Fath al-bari bi sharh sahih al-bukhari: 14 volumes. Volume 3, p. 430-441; az-Zuhayli W. Al-fiqh al-islami wa adillatuh: 11 volumes. Volume 3, p. 2035-2050 and so on.
[9] For more details see: Majduddin A. Al-ihtiyar li ta’lil al-muhtar: 1 volume, 5 parts. Istanbul: Chagre, 1980, part 1, p. 123; ash-Shirazi I. Al-muhazzab: 3 volumes. Beirut: al-Kutub al-‘ilmiya, 1995, part 1, p. 302.
[10] See, for example: Az-Zuhayli W. Al-fiqh al-islami wa adillatuh: 11 volumes. Volume 3, p. 2048.
For more information on the payment of Zakah see: S. Alyautdinov The way to faith and perfection, 3rd edition, p. 274-278.
[11] See: Az-Zuhayli W. Al-fiqh al-islami wa adillatuh: 11 volumes. Volume 3, p. 2048.
[12] See, for example: Az-Zuhayli W. Al-fiqh al-islami wa adillatuh: 11 volumes. Volume 3, p. 2047.
[13] See: Az-Zuhayli W. Al-fiqh al-islami wa adillatuh: 11 volumes. Volume 3, p. 2050.
[14] See: Al-Qardawi Y. Fatawa mu’assyra: 3 volumes. Volume 1, p. 336, 337. See also: Az-Zuhayli W. Al-fiqh al-islami wa adillatuh: 11 volumes. Volume 3, p. 2044, 2045.
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