At the end of Ramadan, Muslims are required to pay Zakat al Fitr, which is a small amount of charity. It is universally regarded as a pious responsibility of every Muslim male or woman by all schools of Islamic law.
Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “Allah’s Messenger prescribed the payment of one Saof of dates or one Sa’ of barley as Zakat al Fitr on every Muslim slave or free, male or female, young or old, and he ordered it to be paid before the people walked out to say the ‘Eid prayer.”
The Purpose of Zakat al Fitr
At the end of the month of Ramadan, every Muslim is obligated to pay Zakat al Fitr as a token of gratitude to God for allowing him to fast. Its goal is to cleanse individuals who fast from any obscene acts or words, as well as to aid the poor and needy.
According to a hadith, “The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, enjoined Zakat al Fitr on those who fast to shield them from any obscene deed or word, and for the purpose of giving sustenance to the destitute.” It is accepted as Zakah if paid before the Eid prayer, and sadaqah if paid after the prayer. ”
According to Al-Qaradawi, there are two goals in this hadith: one is for the person to complete his fast and compensate for any flaws in his actions or speech. The other is about society; it is about distributing love and happiness among its members, especially the poor and needy, on Eid.
It also purifies one’s soul of flaws such as adoration of material possessions and miserliness. It also cleanses one’s property of the taint of illegal gains. It can also be used to treat illnesses.
It would be preferable if you treated your patients with generosity, “the Prophet,” peace and blessings be upon him, stated.
Furthermore, it meets the requirements of the destitute and indigent, preventing them from having to rely on others for charity on Eid. “Fulfill their needs on this day (i.e., Eid),” the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, remarked.
Who must pay Zakat al Fitr
Every free Muslim who has one Sa’ of dates or barley that is not required as basic food for himself or his family for one day and night is required to pay Zakat al Fitr. Every free Muslim, including his wife, children, and servants, is required to pay Zakat al Fitr. Imam Malik, Al-Shafii, and Ahmad all hold this viewpoint. However, according to Imam Abu Hanifah, it is only required for those who have a nisab (a minimum amount of property) after paying for their house, servant, horse, and weapon.
According to Al-Khattabi, the majority of scholars believe that Zakat al Fitr is required for all Muslims, not just those who have the nisab. He explained that the rationale behind it was stated to be the purification of one who fasts from any improper behaviour or speech. And because every Muslim needs it, every fasting Muslim, rich or poor, who has one Sa’ in excess of his main staple sustenance for the period of one day and night must consume it. This is because, as long as all Muslims share the same fundamental rationale, they all have the same obligation. ”
For it is a beautiful wisdom of Islam that makes this Zakah obligatory not just on the rich, but also on practically every Muslim, “Al-Qaradawi states,” for you can seldom find a person who does not own one Sa’ of food over his primary staple meal for the duration of one day and night.” As a result, the idea underlying this requirement is to equip the impoverished to exercise benevolence and to appreciate the dignity and honour of charitable giving. “Those who spend (freely), whether in affluence or in misfortune…”, Allah said of the believers. As a result, if we consider this wisdom, we will not find it weird that the poor pay this Zakah because it causes them no loss. He will just pay his own Zakah and then receive the Zakah of others. ”
Furthermore, we must keep in mind that Zakat al Fitr is required of everyone who lives till the last day of Ramadan. The Shafi’is, Hanbalis, and Malikis all hold this viewpoint. As a result, anyone who dies before the sun sets on Ramadan’s last day is exempt. Similarly, on the last day of Ramadan, a person who has a baby should give Zakat al Fitr for the newborn. According to the majority of jurists, we should not pay Zakat al Fitr for an embryo. On the other hand, Imam Ahmad believes that Zakat al Fitr is also required for an embryo because it is allowed to give property to an embryo through a will.
The time for giving out zakat-ul-fitr
Payment was made one or two days before the ‘Eid during the time of the Prophet’s Companions. Following the spread of Islam, scholars allowed it to be paid between the beginning and middle of Ramadan in order to ensure that the Zakat-ul-Fitr reached its beneficiaries on the day of Eid, avoiding the possibility that the distribution process would cause the payment to be received after the day of ‘Eid.
The most significant element is that paying before Eid prayers is more acceptable in Islam, according to this hadith given by Nafi, which states that the Prophet’s companion Ibn ‘Umar used to offer it to those who would accept it, and that the people used to give it a day or two before the ‘Eid. [Bukhari Vol. 2, p.339, no. 579]
What type of food can be given and are there permissible substitutes?
Islamic jurists from the four schools of thought disagree on what type of food should be donated as Zakat-ul-Fitr. According to the Hanbali viewpoint, there are five types of food that can be given: dates, raisins, wheat, barley, and dry cottage cheese. Even if the following five varieties are available, Imam Ahmad is claimed to have remarked that any sort of cereal grain or dates is permitted. On the other hand, the Malikis and Shafi’is, on the other hand, believe that it is permissible to give any type of food as long as it is the main staple in that region, community, or civilization, or the person’s main food. The Hanafis, on the other hand, allow for the payment of Zakat-ul-Fitr in money.
The quantity of zakat-ul-fitr to be given
The quantity prescribed by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is one saa’ of food. One saa’ is equivalent to four madd. A Madd is the amount that can be scooped up when one puts their hands together, i.e., (a handful of an average man).
According to the source, all forms of food, with the exception of wheat and raisins, have a consensus on this amount. Three of the four schools of Islamic thought, the Shafi’is, Malikis, and Hanbalis, agree that the prescribed amount is one Saa’. The Hanafis believe it is sufficient to pay half the Saa’ from wheat due to its expense, and they disagree on raisins.
Its payment in money
As previously stated, the Hanafis allowed for the payment of Zakat al Fitr in cash. Al-Thawri, Al-Hasan al-Basri, and Umar ibnAbd al-‘Aziz all hold this viewpoint. The other three schools, on the other hand, did not allow this. Their reasoning is that the Prophet did not do so, and hence payment in money is in violation of the Prophet’s Sunnah. However, some modern scholars endorse the Hanafi viewpoint because it is easier for the payer nowadays, particularly in cities where people only use money for transactions. Sheikh Shaltut, al-Ghazali, and al-Qaradawi are among them.
Who provided the two reasons why the Prophet didn’t prescribe it in money earlier? He also claimed that the purpose of Zakat al Fitr is to meet the needs of the poor, which may be accomplished through monetary payment, and that in most circumstances and in most nations, monetary payment is more beneficial to the needy. He further stated that when the Prophet ordered it from food, it was simple for the payment and beneficial to the receiver at the time. However, paying it in food is no longer an option for the poor, as he cannot utilise wheat or dates unless he sells them at any price, which is usually cheap, in order to purchase his necessities with the money.
