Ramadan 19, 1443AH
Assalamu alaykum warahmatullah wabarakaatuh
Rasulullah (SAW) said: “Remember! Zakat al-Fitr is Wajib (strongly recommended, just short of obligatory) on every Muslim, man or woman, free or in servitude, adult or child” (Tirmidhi).
Time of Zakat Al-Fitr
The Hanafis and Malikis (in one of two reports) are of the opinion that Zakat al-Fitr is due at the break of the dawn on the day of Eid (i.e., on Shawwal 01 before the Eid prayers). They quoted the hadith that was reported by Al-Bukhari that Ibn `Umar (RA) narrated, “The Prophet (SAW) ordered the people to pay Zakat Al-Fitr before they go to the Eid Prayer.”
The Shafi`is, Hanbalis, and Malikis (in the other report) hold the opinion that it is due at the sunset (time of Maghrib) of the last day of Ramadan (Ramadan 29 or 30). They quoted the hadith that was narrated by Ibn `Abbas (RA), in which he said, “The Prophet (SAW) enjoined Zakat Al-Fitr for the one who fasts to rescue him from any indecent act or speech, and for the purpose of providing the needy with food. If one pays it before the [`Eid] Prayer, it is considered an accepted Zakah, and if one pays it after the Prayer, it is then considered an ordinary charity.”
The impact of this disagreement affects the assessment of those upon whom the Zakah is obligatory upon.
General Guidelines on Zakat al-Fitr
1. If a person is insane at the time of sunset of the night of Eidul fitr and his insanity continues till midday on Eidul fitr it is not obligatory on him to pay the Zakatul fitr. Otherwise, it is necessary for him, on the basis of obligatory precaution, to give fitra.
2. If a child becomes adult, or an insane person becomes sane, or a pauper becomes free from want before or during sunset, and satisfies the conditions of fitra becoming obligatory on him, he should give fitra.
3. If an unbeliever becomes a Muslim after the sunset of the night of Eidul fitr, it is not obligatory on him to pay fitra because he was not a Muslim in Ramadan.
4. A person who possesses only one sa’a (about 3 Kilos) of wheat and the like should pay Zakat. And if he has family members and wishes to pay their Fitra as well he can give that one sa’a to one of his family members with the intention of fitra and he can give it to another family member and so on till the turn of the last person comes; and it is better that the last person should give what he receives to a person who is not one of them. And if one of them is a minor his guardian can take fitra on his behalf and the precaution is that the thing taken for the minor should not be given to anyone else.
5. If one’s child is born after the sunset of the night of Eidul fitr (which is not in Ramadan) it is not obligatory to give its fitra.
6. If it is obligatory on a person to pay the fitra of another person but he does not pay it, its payment does not become obligatory on the latter. In the same vein if it is obligatory on a person to pay the fitra of another person his obligation does not end even if the latter himself pays his own fitra.
7. If the husband of a woman does not bear her expenses and she takes meals at the house of another person, it is obligatory on that person to pay her Fitra. And if she does not take her meals at the house of another person, she should pay her fitra herself, provided that she is not poor.
8. The fitra of a child who sucks the milk of its mother or nurse is payable by one who bears the expenses of the mother or the nurse. However, if the mother or the nurse meets her expenses from the property of the child itself, payment of fitra for the child is not obligatory on any person.
9. Even though a person meets the expenses of the members of his family with unlawful means he should pay their fitra out of lawful property.
10. If a person dies after sunset (after salat al-Maghrib) of the night of Eidul fitr his fitra as well as that of the members of his family should be paid out of his property, but if he dies before sunset, it is not obligatory that his Fitra and that of the members of his family be paid out of his property.
11. A man has to pay on behalf of himself and his wife – even if she has money of her own – and his children and parents if they are poor, and his daughter if she is married but the marriage has not yet been consummated. If his son is rich, he does not have to give zakat al-fitr on his behalf. A husband has to give zakat al-fitr on behalf of a divorced wife whose divorce (talaaq) is not yet final (i.e., she is still in the ‘iddah of a first or second talaaq), but not in the case of a rebellious wife or one whose divorce is final. A son does not have to give zakaat al-fitr on behalf of a poor father’s wife because he is not obliged to spend on her.
12. When giving zakaat al-fitr, one should start with the closest people first, so he gives it on behalf of himself, then his wife, then his children, then the rest of his relatives in order of closeness, following the pattern laid out in the rules governing inheritance.
13. It is not obligatory to give zakaat al-fitr on behalf of a foetus that is still in the mother’s womb, but if this is done voluntarily, there is nothing wrong with it.
14. If a servant has set wages that are paid to him daily or monthly, the employer does not have to give zakaat al-fitr on his behalf, because he is a hired worker, and one is not obliged to spend on a hired worker.
15. Concerning giving zakat al-fitr on behalf of an orphan, Imam Maalik (RA) said: “The guardian should give zakaat al-fitr on behalf of the orphans some of whose wealth is under his control, even if they are minors.”
16. Fitr should be given to deserving Believers who do not have enough income for the maintenance of their families for the whole year.
17. If deserving persons are not readily available, Fitr should be sent to places where such persons are found, or the amount should be sent to a Mujtahid who would do the needful in distributing the same.
18. It is not essential that the recipient of Fitr is an “Aadil” (just), but it is necessary to ensure that it is not given to anyone likely to use it in acts of sin, e.g., drinking liquor, gambling, etc.
19. Zakaat al-fitr has to be handed over to someone who is entitled to it or someone who has been appointed to collect it, at the right time before the Eid prayer. If a man wants to give it to a particular person, but cannot find him or a trustee who can accept it on his behalf, and he is afraid that time is running out, he has to give it to another entitled person, and not delay giving it. If a person wants to give his zakaat al-fitr to a specific needy person, and is afraid that he may not see him at the appropriate time, he should tell him to appoint someone to accept it on his behalf, or to appoint him (the giver) to take it from himself on his behalf. Then when the time comes, he can take it to him in a bag or whatever, or keep it for him as a trust until he sees him.
20. If the one who wants to give zakah appoints someone else to give it on his behalf, he is still responsible for it until he is certain that his deputy has carried out his instructions. This point becomes relevant for Muslims who live in places where they cannot find a recipient for their zakah.
O brethren! We should strive our utmost to discharge our Zakat al-Fitr obligations, notwithstanding the current financial challenges that we are all facing and be comforted that “If one gives a date bought from honestly earned money, Allah accepts it in His right hand and enlarges (its rewards) for its owner (as one rears his foal) until it becomes as big as a mountain.” [Bukhari]
O Allah! Eliminate bad characters from us in this blessed month of Ramadan. Purify us and free us from the evils of pride, envy, hatred and other bad manners and bad companies. O Allah Increase the good characters in us and help us carry out the obligations of Zakat al-Fitr
Our Lord! You are glorified. There is no knowledge for us except for what You have taught us. Verily You are All-Knowledgeable, All-Wise.
Wa aakhiru da’awana anil hamdu lillahi rabbil aalameen.
Suleiman Zubair