Zakat al-Fitr and the Obligatory Amount as Eid al-Fitr Approaches
Question: Salam wa alakium, Eid is approaching and I was wondering what the proper zakat or sadqah to give is? Is it moreso a percentage of your wealth or a fixed number based on what you want to give? JazakAllahu Khairun
Summary:
The charity that is given at Eid al-Fitr is not a percentage of wealth. Rather, it is Zakat al-Fitr, and it is a specific amount legislated in the religion that must be given on behalf of every Muslim: one sāʿ of food from the common staple of the land, such as dates, rice, wheat, and similar things. The Prophet ﷺ obligated it upon every Muslim: the young and the old, the male and the female, the free person and the slave. It is given before the Eid prayer.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, all praise is due to Allah, and may Peace and Blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
From the Sunnah:
- Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.It is reported from ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with them both, that he said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ obligated Zakat al-Fitr as one sāʿ of dates, or one sāʿ of barley, upon the slave and the free person, the male and the female, and the young and the old among the Muslims.”
- Reported by Abu Dawud and graded sound by al-Albani.And it is reported from Ibn ʿAbbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, that he said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ obligated Zakat al-Fitr as purification for the fasting person from idle speech and obscene speech, and as food for the poor.”
The obligatory amount is: one Prophetic sāʿ of food. The sāʿ is approximately equal to about 2.5–3 kilograms of food. It should be from the staple food of the land such as rice, wheat, dates, barley, corn, or whatever people commonly eat. Third: The Time of Giving It The best time to give it is: Before the Eid prayer.
From the Sunnah:
- Reported by al-Bukhari.Ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with them both, said:
“And he commanded that it be given before the people go out to the prayer.”
It is permissible to give it one or two days before Eid.
From the Scholars:
- The opinion of the majority of scholars (the Malikis, Shafiʿis, and Hanbalis) is that giving it as money does not suffice; rather it must be food.
Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “It does not suffice for a man to give the price of it in Sadaqat al-Fitr.” (Al-Mudawwanah) Imam Ahmad said: “He does not give its monetary value.” (Al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah) The preferred opinion among many scholars of the Sunnah Is that it is best to give it as food, because that is in accordance with the action of the Prophet ﷺ and the Companions. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: “Giving it from food is the Sunnah, because that is what the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions did.” (Majmuʿ al-Fatawa)
Fifth: Upon whom is Zakat al-Fitr obligatory? It is obligatory upon: Every Muslim who possesses the food for the day and night of Eid beyond his own needs. He gives it on behalf of himself, his wife, and his young children. The obligatory charity at Eid al-Fitr is Zakat al-Fitr, and it is: • Not a percentage of wealth. • Rather a specific amount: one sāʿ of food for each person. • It is given before the Eid prayer. • Its purpose is to feed the poor and purify the fasting person.
And Allah knows best.
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