work out how much zakaat al-fitr is?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It was proven from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) that he enjoined zakaat al-fitr on the Muslims,
one saa' of dates or one saa' of barley, and he commanded that it be
given before the people went out to the (Eid) prayer. In al-Saheehayn
it is narrated that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: At the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) we used to give one saa' of food, or one saa' of dates,
or one saa' of barley, or one saa' of raisins.
Some of the scholars haveinterpreted "food" (ta'aam) in this hadeeth
as referring to wheat; others interpreted it as meaning the staple
food of the country, whatever it is, whether it is wheat, corn, pearl
millet or whatever. This is the correct view, because zakaah is a help
from the rich to the poor, and the Muslim does not have to help with
anything other than the staple food of hiscountry. Undoubtedly rice is
the staple food in the land of the Two Holy Sanctuaries (Saudi Arabia)
and it is a good and valuable food; it is better than the barley that
is mentioned in the text. Hence it is known that there is nothing
wrong with giving rice as zakaat al-fitr.
What must be given is a saa' of any kind of staple food, i.e., a saa'
of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), which is
four complete scoops as scooped up with two hands, according to
al-Qaamoos etc. In modern weights this is equivalent to approximately
three kilograms. If a Muslim gives a kilo of rice or some other staple
food of his country, that is sufficient even if it is not one of the
types mentioned in the hadeeth, according to the more correct of the
two scholarly opinions. There is nothing wrong with giving the
equivalent amount by weight, which is approximately three kilograms.
Zakaat al-fitr must be given on behalf of all Muslims, young and old,
male and female, free andslave. With regard to a foetus, it is not
obligatory to give it on his behalf according to scholarly consensus,
but it is mustahabb, because 'Uthmaan (may Allaah be pleased with him)
did that.
It is also obligatory to give it before the Eid prayer, and it is not
permissible to delay it until after the Eid prayer. There is nothing
wrong with giving it one or two days before the Eid. Henceit is known
that the earliest time when it may be given, according to themore
correct of the two scholarly views, is the night of the 28th of
Ramadaan, because the month may be twenty-nine or thirty days. The
companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) used to give it one or two days before Eid.
Those to whom it must begiven are the poor and needy. It was proven
that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:The Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined zakaat
al-fitr as a purification for the fasting person from idle and obscene
speech, and to feed the poor. Whoevergives it before the prayer, it is
zakaat al-fitr, and whoever gives it after the prayer, it is ordinary
charity. This was narrated by Abu Dawood and classed as hasan by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
It is not permissible to pay the value in money, according to the
majority of scholars; this view has the stronger evidence. Rather it
must be given inthe form of food, as the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) and his companions (may Allaah be pleased with
them) did. This is also the view of the majority of the ummah. We ask
Allaah to help us and all the Muslims to understand Hisreligion
properly and adhere to it steadfastly, and to guide us, for He is the
Most Generous, Most Kind.
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 14/200.
This is the estimation of Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on
him), who reckoned the weight of zakaat al-fitr as being approximately
three kilograms.
This was also the estimateof the scholars of the Standing Committee (9/371).
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) estimated it in
grams as being 2100 grams, as it says in Fataawa al-Zakaah, p.
274-276.
This discrepancy occurred because a saa' is a measure of volume, not weight.
The scholars worked it out by weight so that it would be easier to
work out. It is well known that the weight of grains varies; some are
light and some are heavy, and some are in between. In fact the weight
of a saa' of the same kind of grain may vary, and new may weigh more
than old. Hence if people err on the side of caution and give more,
that will be better.
See al-Mughni, 4/168, where it mentions something similar about
working out the nisaab ofcrops by weight.
And Allaah knows best.
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