7e] Zakaat al-Fitr

7e]
"It is not permissible to give any part of zakaah to a kaafir, whether
it iszakaat al-fitr or zakaat al-maal… Maalik, al-Layth, Ahmad and Abu
Thawr said: 'They (i.e., kaafirs) should not be given it.'"
Zakaah should be given to the poor, those who have overwhelming debts,
and those whose salaries are not enough to last until the end of the
month,in accordance with the level of their needs.
It is not permissible for the one who gives zakaat al-fitr to buy it
back from the one to whom he has given it.
( Fataawaa al-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen ).
Payment and distribution
· It is preferable for the person who is giving to share it out
himself. (Al-Shaafa'i said): �I prefer to share out zakaat al-fitr
myself rather than give it to the one who is collecting it.�
· Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: �Al-Shaafa'i said in
al-Mukhtasar : 'Zakaatal-fitr is to be shared out among those to whom
zakaat al-maalis shared out. I preferthat it should be given to
relatives on whom it is not obligatory to spend at all.' He said: 'If
he prefers to give it to the one who is collecting it, this should be
fine, in sha Allaah… but it is better to share it out himself… If he
gives it to the Muslim leader or the collectoror the one who is
collecting the people's zakaat al-fitr, and he is givenpermission to
give it, this is fine, but sharing it out himselfis better than all of
this.��
( al-Majmoo� , part 6).
· It is permissible to appoint a trustworthy person to hand it over to
those who are entitled to it, but if heis not trustworthy, then it is
not allowed.�Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mu'ammal said: "I heard Ibn Abi
Mulaykah, when a man was saying to him, 'So-and-so told me to leave my
zakaat al-fitr in the mosque,' Ibn Abi Mulaykah said, 'He does not
know what he is talking about. You go and share it out (yourself),
otherwise Ibn Hishaam (the governor who was collecting it in the
mosque) will give it to his guards and whoever he wants' (i.e., he
would give it to people who were not entitled to it)."
( Al-Umm : Baab day'at Zakaat al-Fitr qabla Qasmihaa ).
Imaam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) stated that it is
permissible to share out one saa' among a group of people, or togive
many saa's to one person…
Maalik said: "there is nothing wrong with a man giving sadaqatal-fitr
on behalf of himself and his family to one needy person."
( al-Mudawwanah , part 1, Baab fi Qasm Zakaat al-Fitr ).
If one is giving less than a saa' to a poor person, this must be
pointed out, because he might use it to payhis own zakaat al-fitr.
It is permissible for a poor person, if he receives zakaat al-fitrah
from someone and he has more than he needs, to give it on his own
behalf or on behalf ofone of those who are dependent on him, if he is
sure that the food is OK (i.e., it is the right type of foodand the
quantity is sufficient).
Where to give zakaat al-fitr
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "As for zakaat
al-fitr, it should be shared out in the country where it became
obligatory, whether a person haswealth there or not, because it is the
reason why zakaat became obligatory…"
( al-Mughni , part 2, Fasl idhaa kaana al-muzakki fi balad wa maaluhu fi balad )
It was reported in al-Mudawwanah Fiqhal-Imaam Ahmad (may Allaah have
mercy on him): "I said: What is the opinion of Maalik on someone who
comes from Ifreeqiyah ('Africa') and is in Egypt on the day of Fitr –
where should he give his zakaat al-fitr? Malik said: [Heshould give
it] wherehe is. Maalik said: if his family in Ifreeqiyah give it on
his behalf, that is fine. (What was meant by Ifreeqiyah/'Africa' in
those days is different from what it means now)."
(Part 1, Baab fi Ikhraaj al-Musaafir Zakaat al-Fitr )
We ask Allaah to accept the worship ofall of us and to join us with
the righteous. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and all his
family and companions./

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