What is Zakat Al Fitr?
Zakat Al Fitr, or the Zakat of Breaking the Fast of Ramadan, is the special obligatory charity paid by all Muslims at the end of Ramadan.
FAQs:
Why do we give Zakat Al Fitr?
We give this charity to feed the poor so they can also have a joyous Eid, and also to make up for our shortcomings during Ramadan.
The companion Ibn ‘Abbas said:‘The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made Zakat al-Fitr obligatory as a means of purifying the fasting person from idle talk and foul language, and to feed the poor.’
How much must we pay?
Zakat Al-Fitr must be paid from the staple diet of the local community of the payer (actual food, not money).
The amount to be given is one (saa’) of food, according to the measure of saa’ used by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.) A saa’ is approximately equivalent to three kilograms of rice.
Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “At the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) we used to give it in the form of a saa’ of food…”
Today, one saa’ of food is calculated as being approximately equivalent to £5.
When should Zakat Al Fitr be paid?
The time to pay the Zakat Al-Fitr starts after sunset on the last day of Ramadan, which is the first night of the month of Shawwal, and it ends with the Eid prayer. It is also permissible to pay it one or two days before Eid.
Who Should pay Zakat Al Fitr
Zakat al-Fitr is obligatory on all Muslims who have an excess of food.
Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made Zakat al-Fitr obligatory on the Muslims, slave and free, male and female, young and old.”
Unlike Zakat, it is a duty on everyone in your household including children and babies. Therefore, the head of the household, or parents/guardians must pay on behalf of other members of the family.
Can the recipient of Zakat Al Fitr receive cash, or must they be given food?
The ruling on paying Zakat al-Fitr in cash is a matter in which the scholars have differed, with the majority opinion holding that it should be given out as food, or similar nourishments.
Giving it in cash is an opinion held by many scholars such as imam Abu Hanifah and Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah.