In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A Abridgment of the Book:
Ramadan:
Events and Lessons.
The Obligation of Zakat al-Fitr.
The Time of Its Enactment:
Towards the end of the month of Ramadan,
two days before Eid,
in the second year of the Hijrah.
Zakat al-Fitr, or Sadaqat al-Fitr,
is one of the acts of worship that follow the fast of the month of Ramadan.
It is an expression of the diversification of acts of worship during Ramadan,
alongside fasting, prayer, remembrance of Allah, and Qur'an recitation.
It serves to rectify crooked behavior,
correct bad character,
and show benevolence and mercy toward the needy.
Zakat al-Fitr
is the zakat made obligatory due to breaking the fast of Ramadan.
It is also defined as:
a Muslim giving a needy person a *sa'* of the staple food of the region to cover their sustenance for the day of Eid.
The Date of Its Enactment:
It was made obligatory in the second year of the Hijrah, during Ramadan,
two days before Eid.
Wisdoms and Rulings Pertaining to Zakat al-Fitr:
First: Its Underlying Wisdom.
Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) narrated:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordained Zakat al-Fitr
as a purification for the fasting person from idle talk and obscene language,
and as food for the needy.
Whoever pays it before the Eid prayer,
it is an accepted zakat;
and whoever pays it after the prayer,
it is merely a charity among charities."
In this hadith,
two wisdoms for Sadaqat al-Fitr are mentioned:
the first pertains to the giver,
and the second pertains to the recipient.
As for the giver, shortcomings may occur during their fast
due to idle, coarse, false, or indecent speech—
which constitutes idle talk and obscenity.
Thus, Zakat al-Fitr intervenes
to purify the fasting person from this foulness,
so that their fast remains free of deficiency.
As for the recipient,
they benefit from the food, which spares them from having to seek labor on the day of Eid,
allowing them to rejoice just as other people rejoice,
sitting among their family and children
because their basic needs are met.
Second:
Its Legal Ruling and Upon Whom It Is Obligatory.
Zakat al-Fitr is an individual obligation (*fard 'ayn*) upon every Muslim,
whether male or female,
young or old,
free or enslaved,
rich or poor—provided they possess food beyond their needs for the night of Eid
and the day of Eid, for themselves and their dependents.
This ruling is substantiated by
the hadith of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), who said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordained
Zakat al-Fitr
as a *sa'* of dates or a *sa'* of barley
upon every slave and free person,
male and female,
young and old among the Muslims."
Third:
The Prerequisite of a Minimum Threshold (*Nisab*).
The majority of jurists—
including the Malikis, Shafi'is, and Hanbalis—
held that Sadaqat al-Fitr
is obligatory upon anyone who is able to afford it,
and possessing a *nisab* is not a prerequisite for its obligation.
Rather, its threshold is that a Muslim possesses
surplus food beyond their own sustenance and the sustenance of those they are obligated to support
for the night of Eid and its day.
This is proven by the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn Tha'labah
(or Tha'labah ibn 'Abdullah ibn Abi S'ir),
from his father (may Allah be pleased with him), who reported that
the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"A *sa'* of wheat or grain
is due from every young or old,
free person or slave,
male or female,
rich or poor.
As for the rich among you,
Allah will purify them;
and as for the poor among you,
Allah will grant them in return
far more than what they have given."
Fourth:
The Types of Food from Which It May Be Given.
Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordained
Zakat al-Fitr
as a *sa'* of dates
or a *sa'* of barley
upon the slave and the free,
male and female,
young and old
among the Muslims."
And Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
"We used to give Zakat al-Fitr
during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
as a *sa'* of food,
or a *sa'* of barley,
or a *sa'* of dates,
or a *sa'* of raisins,
or a *sa'* of dried yogurt (*aqit*)."
In these two hadiths,
several food types were mentioned:
dates, barley,
raisins, dried yogurt, and wheat.
What is evident
is that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
did not intend to restrict the payment strictly to these items;
rather, he mentioned them as examples of common staple foods,
as those items were
the primary food staples of the people at that time.
Therefore, the governing factor is the prevailing staple food of a region:
whatever constitutes a prevailing, permissible staple food
may be given,
while non-staples should not be given,
whether from these specific types
or others.
Food staples vary
according to time and place;
in our era, there are staples
that did not exist
or were not common
in past times,
and vice versa.
Fifth:
Paying the Monetary Value for Zakat al-Fitr.
A scholarly disagreement arose among jurists
regarding the permissibility of paying monetary value
instead of food for Zakat al-Fitr.
The most correct view
is that the giver of zakat should consider
the best interest of the poor person
to whom Zakat al-Fitr will be distributed.
If they see that giving food
is better for their situation,
they should give them food;
in doing so, they will have combined
both the textual directive and the legal intent (*maqsid*) of the Shariah.
For instance, if there is a shortage
of food available to the poor person
or in the market
due to an economic crisis;
or if the head of the household
is someone who squanders money
on unlawful matters or idle entertainment
while their family is in dire need of food.
Conversely, if they see that giving
cash
is more beneficial to the poor person and their family,
they should give cash
equivalent to the value of the prevailing staple food.
For instance, if the poor person
already has an abundance of food,
but has a pressing need
for cash currency
to purchase cooking fuel,
such as cooking gas,
or to purchase meat for Eid,
or if their need is
to buy clothes for their children,
or medication for their own healing
or for a member of their family,
or similar important necessities.
In such cases, paying the monetary value
directly fulfills the need of the poor,
ensuring the charity reaches its proper target.
And Allah knows best.
Sixth:
The Obligatory Amount Due Per Person.
It has been narrated in the hadiths of Ibn 'Umar
and Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with them)
that the required amount per person
is one *sa'* of food.
Ibn 'Umar stated:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordained
Zakat al-Fitr
as a *sa'* of dates or a *sa'* of barley."
And Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
"We used to give Zakat al-Fitr
during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
as a *sa'* of food."
Seventh:
The Time of Obligation.
It becomes obligatory at sunset on the last day of the month of Ramadan,
based on the statement of Ibn 'Abbas:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him)
ordained Zakat al-Fitr
as a purification for the fasting person from idle talk and obscene language,"
and the statement of Ibn 'Umar:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordained
the Zakat of breaking the fast (*Zakat al-Fitr*)."
Breaking the fast of Ramadan
It only takes effect with the setting of the sun
on the eve of Eid.
Because it is attributed to *fitr* (breaking the fast),
it becomes obligatory on its account, just like the zakat on wealth (*zakat al-mal*).
This is because such attribution indicates a specific association,
and the underlying cause is more specifically tied to its ruling than anything else.
Eighth:
The time of payment.
The preferred scholarly view regarding the time of paying zakat al-fitr
is as follows:
First:
Distributing it before the Eid prayer
is obligatory for anyone who has not distributed it prior to that.
Second:
Distributing it a day or two before Eid
is a period of permissibility, choice, and precaution.
It is permissible,
for in the previously mentioned hadith of Ibn 'Umar,
Nafi' said:
"They used to give it a day or two before the fast-breaking."
This reference to "they" implies all of the Companions,
thus constituting a consensus (*ijma'*).
Furthermore, advancing it by this short duration
does not defeat its intended purpose,
as it usually remains—or at least part of it remains—until the day of Eid,
thereby enriching the poor so they need not wander and beg on that day.
Third:
The opinion that permits paying it from the middle of Ramadan,
the beginning of Ramadan,
or even a year or more before Ramadan,
is a weak opinion.
This is due to the hadith of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), who said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded that zakat al-fitr
be delivered before the people go out to the prayer."
A command denotes obligation,
and paying it too far in advance
fails to ensure that the poor are enriched specifically on the day of Eid.
This is because the cause of its obligation is the breaking of the fast of Ramadan,
not the commencement of Ramadan,
as evidenced by its construct attribution to *fitr* (fast-breaking).
As for analogizing it to zakat al-mal,
it is a flawed analogy with a significant disparity (*qiyas ma'a al-fariq*).
The cause for zakat al-mal is reaching the minimum threshold of wealth (*nisab*),
and its purpose is to sustain the poor throughout the entire year,
making it permissible to pay it at any point during the year.
In contrast, zakat al-fitr
aims specifically at
enriching the poor during a designated time;
hence, it is not permissible to pay it before that designated time.
However, if it is collected from the people
starting from the beginning or middle of Ramadan
by a specific individual or organization
in order to organize its distribution to those who deserve it,
there is no harm in that,
provided that it reaches the poor person
shortly before the Eid prayer,
or a day or two before Eid.
Fourth:
Distributing it after the Eid prayer
without a valid Islamically recognized excuse
renders it non-fulfilling of the obligation;
it then counts merely as a general charity,
and the person sins for the delay.
This is because discharging it after the prayer
defeats part of the intended objective,
which is to enrich the poor on this specific day;
thus, sufficiency is not achieved for them
until after the prayer has concluded.
Anyone who intends to give to them to make them self-sufficient
must ensure it is delivered
before the prayer,
so that the joy of this day
encompasses everyone.
Ninth:
The place of its distribution.
The jurists have agreed
that zakat al-fitr
is to be paid where the giver is physically located—
meaning in the town where the person is present
at the moment zakat al-fitr becomes obligatory
while residing there.
Because it is a zakat on the physical self,
it follows the location of the body.
Accordingly,
if someone is in Mecca at the end of Ramadan,
even if he is not a resident of Mecca,
he pays it in Mecca,
while his family pays it on their own behalf
in their home country.
This is the default rule regarding zakat al-fitr.
However, it is permissible to transfer it to a town
other than that of the payer
where it became obligatory,
if there are no poor people in the place
where it fell due.
It has also been said that it may be transferred
if those elsewhere are in far greater need
than the people of the town where it became due,
though the first view is more correct.
In summary,
zakat al-fitr shares the same ruling as zakat al-mal
regarding its transfer to another location.
And Allah knows best.
Tenth:
Its eligible beneficiaries.
The preferred opinion is that it is designated exclusively
for the poor and the needy,
to the exclusion of the other categories of zakat recipients.
Ramadan: Events and Lessons.