Zakatul-Fitr (sermon)

Zakat-ul-Fitr
(obligatory charity paid before the Festival of Breaking the Fast) (Sermon)

All praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.

Of the acts of worship which Allah ordained upon Muslims in this blessed month is Zakatul-Fitr which Allah ordained to purify the souls of fasting people from miserliness, to purify their souls from things that may affect their fasting or decrease the reward such as foul language and cursing, to condolence the poor and the needy, to show gratitude to the favors of Allah on His Servants by completing the fasting and Qiyam of Ramadan and doing the righteous actions therein.

Abu Dawud reported in his Sunan from the Hadith of Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) prescribed the Sadaqah (alms) relating to the breaking of the fast as a purification of the fasting from empty and obscene talk and as food for the poor."[1].

Zakatul-Fitr is obligatory on every Muslim whether a male or female, free or slave when he owns one Sa` over his need and the need of his family on the Day of `Eid and the night before.

Al Bukhari and Muslim reported in their books of authentic Hadiths from the Hadith of Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) enjoined the payment of one Sa` of dates or one Sa` of barley as Zakatul-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 Salah. (One Sa` = 3 Kilograms approx.)"[2].

And if a person exceeds that amount voluntarily, there is no harm.

Al Bukhari and Muslim reported in their books of authentic Hadiths from the Hadith of Abu Sa`id Al Khudry (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "In the life-time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) we used to give one Sa` of food or one Sa` of dates or one Sa' of barley or one Sa` of Raisins (dried grapes) as Sadaqat-ul-Fitr." [3]In another narration: "Our food used to be either of barley, raisins (dried grapes), cottage cheese or dates."[4].

A Muslim should offer the best of these kinds and the most useful to the poor and the needy, and he should not offer the bad.

Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "By no means shall you attain Al-Birr (piety, righteousness - here it means Allâh's Reward, i.e. Paradise), unless you spend (in Allâh's Cause) of that which you love; and whatever of good you spend, Allâh knows it well." [Surat Al `Imran: 92].

The people of knowledge such as Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and Ibn Al Qayyim (may Allah bestow mercy on their souls) adopted the view that a Muslim may offer Zakah from other kinds that are not mentioned in the Hadith of Abu Sa`id Al Khudry as long as these kinds eaten by the people of his country such as rice and others[5].

The meaning of Sa` is four Mudds, and one Mudd equals the handful of an ordinary man of good wheat which equals about 3 kilos[6].

There are two times for Zakatul-Fitr:

1- From the sunset of the last night of Ramadan, and the best time is between the Fajr Salah and Salat-ul-`Eid. Al Bukhari and Muslim reported in their books of authentic Hadiths from the Hadith of Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) enjoined the payment of one Sa` of dates or one Sa` of barley as Zakatul-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. (One Sa' = 3 Kilograms approx.)"[7].

2- Permissible time which is one or two days before `Eid. "Ibn `Umar used to give Sadaqat-ul-Fitr to those who had been officially appointed for its collection. People used to give Sadaqat-ul-Fitr (even) a day or two before the `Eid."[8].

Abu Dawud reported in his Sunan from the Hadith of Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever pays it before the `Eid Salah, it is an accepted Zakah, and whoever pays it after the Salah, it is (ordinary) charity."[9]

If a person delays it after Salatul-`Eid, it must be paid. It is not overlooked due to the elapse of its due time, and a person shall be sinful[10].

Zakah is given to the poor and the needy. It was reported in the Hadith of Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): "As food for the poor."

It is permissible that a group of people or a family gives Zakah to one poor person. It is also permissible to divide the Zakah of a single person to many poor people for a need. It is not permissible to pay Zakatul-Fitr as money because the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that it must be paid as food although they may be paid in value. If the value had been permissible, the Prophet would have explained so. Moreover, the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not pay it in value however it was possible in their times. Furthermore, paying it as money will lead to the missing of that great rite and people would neglect learning its rulings.

The general rule is that a person must pay Zakatul-Fitr to the poor of the country in which he exists. It is permissible to transfer Zakatul-Fitr from a country to another when the people of that country are poorer than the poor in his country as stated by the Permanent Committee of Ifta'[11].

As if a perosn authorizes someone to pay Zakah in his country while he is absent, it is not part of this issue, which is permissible.

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds [i.e., people]. May Allah send His Peace and Blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions.

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[1] Fatwas of the Permanent Committee (9/369) No. (6364).

[2] Sahih Al Bukhari No. (1503) and Sahih Muslim No. (984).

[3] Sahih Al Bukhari No. (1508) and Sahih Muslim No. (985).

[4] Sahih Al Bukhari No. (1510).

[5] Fatwas Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah 25/68 - 69.

[6] Fatwas of the Permanent Committee 9/365 - 371, No. (5733 and 12572).

[7] Sahih Al Bukhari No. (1503) and Sahih Muslim No. (986).

[8] Sahih Al Bukhari No. (1511).

[9] Sunan Abu Dawud No. (1609), and Al Albany graded it as good in Sahih Sunan Abu Dawud (1/303) No. (1420).

[10] See Jami` Al Fiqh of Ibn Al Qayyim (3/69) and Ash-Sharh Al Mumti` of Sheikh Ibn `Utheimeen (6/173).

[11] Part of Hadith in Sunan Abu Dawud No. (1609), and Sheikh Al Albany graded it as good in Sahih Sunan Abu Dawud (1/303) No. (1420).