7b] Zakaat al-Fitr

7b]
The author of al-Muhadhdhab said: "Al-Musannif (may Allaah have mercy
on him) said: 'If someone has to pay zakaat al-fitr on his own behalf
and on behalf of those whom he is supporting, if they are Muslim and
if has more than he needs to spend on them that he can give, thenthe
mother and father, and grandparents and great-grandparents, etc., may
have to pay zakaat al-fitr on behalf of their children and
grandchildren and great-grandchildren, etc., and the children may have
to pay zakaat al-fitr on behalf of their parents and grandparents and
great-grandparents, etc., – if they are obliged to spend on their
maintenance.
( Al-Majma' , part 6).
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 givezakaat
al-fitr on his behalf. A husband hasto give zakaat al-fitr on behalf
of a divorced wife whose divorce (talaaq) is notyet final (i.e., she
is still in the 'iddah of a first or second talaaq), but not in
thecase of a rebellious wife or one whose divorce is final. A son does
not have to givezakaat al-fitr on behalf of a poor father's wife
because he is not obliged to spend on her.
[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 restof his relatives in order of closeness,
following the patternlaid out in the rules governing inheritance.
Al-Shaafa'i, may Allaah have mercy on him, said: "Who I say is obliged
to give zakaat al-fitr, if a child is born to him, or he takes
possession of a slave,or someone becomes one of his dependents, at any
time during the last day of Ramadaan, then the suns sets on the night
of the crescent of Shawwaal, he has to give zakaat al-fitr on that
person's behalf."
( Al-Umm , Baab Zakaat al-Fitr al-Thaani ).
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.
If someone who is obliged to give zakaat al-fitr dies before giving
it, it must be given from his estate… even if the person who was
supporting him also dies, the obligation still stands.
( Al-Mughni , part 2).
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.
( al-Mawsoo'ah , 23/339).
Concerning giving zakaat al-fitr on behalf of an orphan, Imaam Maalik
(may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "The guardian should give zakaat
al-fitr on behalf of the orphanssome of whose wealth is under his
control, even if they are minors."
( Al-Mudawwanah , part 1).
Amount of zakaat al-fitr
The amount to be given is one saa' of food, according to themeasure of
saa' used by the Prophet (peaceand blessings of Allaah be upon him),
because of the following hadeeth.
- 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 it in the form of a saa' of food…"
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 1412).
The weight of the saa' [which is a measure of volume] varies according
to the type of food concerned, so when giving zakaat al-fitr by
weight, one must make sure that what is given is equivalent to a saa'
of that type of food. A saa' is approximately equivalent to three
kilograms of rice.
Types of things that may be given
What should be givenis food for human consumption, such as dates,
wheat, rice or other kinds of food that humans eat. It is reported in
al-Saheehayn from Ibn 'Umar (may Allaahbe pleased with themboth) that
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
made zakaat al-fitr, one saa' of dates or one saa' of barley,
obligatory on the Muslims, slave and free, male and female,. (At that
time,barley was one of thefoods they ate).
(Al-Bukhaari, 1408)
Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "At the
time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah beupon
him), we used to give a saa' of food on the day of Fitr." Abu Sa'eed
said: "Andour food was barley, raisins, aqit (dried yoghurt) and
dates."
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 1408).
It should be given in the form of the staplefood that is used locally,
whether it is wheat, rice, dates or lentils…

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7a] Zakaat al-Fitr

7a]
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: �The one who is in
financial difficulty is not obliged to give [zakaat al-fitr]; there is
no difference among the scholars inthis regard… The obligation is
determined by whether or not a person can afford it. Whoever has one
saa' more than he needs for himself and those whom he is obliged
tosupport on the night and day of Eid, has enough [is not in financial
difficulty]. Whoever does not have anything more than he needs is in
financial difficulty, so he is not obliged to pay anything in this
case.
( Al-Majmoo' , part 6, Shuroot Wujoob Sadaqat al-Fitr ).
· The Muslim should give on his own behalf and on behalf of those on
whom he spends, such as wives and relatives, if they cannot give it on
theirown behalf. If they are able to, it is betterfor them to give it
themselves, because the command is addressed to them in the first
place.
Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made zakaat
al-fitr, one saa'of dates or one saa' ofbarley, obligatory on the
Muslims, slave andfree, male and female,young and old, and commanded
that it should be given before the people went out to pray."
(Al-Bukhaari, 1407)
Al-Shaafa'i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "The guardian of the
insane and the minor should give zakaat al-fitr on their behalf and on
behalf of thosefor whom they [the insane and minor] may be
responsible, just as the sane person should give onhis own behalf… If
there is a kaafir among those whom he is supporting, he does not have
to give zakaat al-fitr on his behalf, because he cannot be purified by
zakaah."
( Al-Umm , part 2, Baab Zakaat al-Fitr ).
The author of al-Muhadhdhab said: "Al-Musannif (may Allaah have mercy
on him) said: 'If someonehas to pay zakaat al-fitr on his own behalf
and on behalf of those whom he is supporting, if they areMuslim and if
has more than he needs tospend on them that hecan give, then the
mother and father, and grandparents andgreat-grandparents, etc., may
have to pay zakaat al-fitr on behalf of their children and
grandchildren and great-grandchildren, etc., and the children may have
to pay zakaat al-fitr on behalf of their parentsand grandparents
andgreat-grandparents, etc., – if they are obliged to spend on their
maintenance.
( Al-Majma' , part 6).
A man has to pay on behalf of himself and his wife – even if she has
money of her own– and his children andparents if they are poor, and
his daughter if she is married but the marriage has not yet been
consummated. Ifhis son is rich, he doesnot have to give zakaat al-fitr
on his behalf. A husband has to give zakaat 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.
[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, thenthe rest of his relatives in order of closeness,
following the pattern laid out in the rules governing inheritance.
Al-Shaafa'i, may Allaahhave mercy on him, said: "Who I say is obliged
to give zakaatal-fitr, if a child is born to him, or he takes
possession of a slave, or someone becomes one of his dependents, at
any time during the last day of Ramadaan, then the suns sets on the
night of the crescent of Shawwaal,he has to give zakaat al-fitr on
that person'sbehalf."
( Al-Umm , Baab Zakaat al-Fitr al-Thaani ).
It is not obligatory to give zakaat al-fitr on behalf of a foetus
thatis still in the mother's womb, but if this is done voluntarily,
there is nothing wrong with it.
If someone who is obliged to give zakaatal-fitr dies before giving it,
it must be given from his estate… even if the person who was
supporting him also dies, the obligation still stands.
( Al-Mughni , part 2).
If a servant has set wages that are paid to him daily or monthly, the
employerdoes not have to give zakaat al-fitr on his behalf, because he
is ahired worker, and oneis not obliged to spend on a hired worker.
( al-Mawsoo'ah , 23/339).
Concerning giving zakaat al-fitr on behalf of an orphan, Imaam Maalik
(may Allaah have mercy on him) 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."
( Al-Mudawwanah , part 1).

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7] Zakaat al-Fitr

7]
Praise be to Allaah.
Definition
Zakaat al-Fitr is a kind of charity (sadaqah) that is obligatory at
the timeof breaking the fast of Ramadaan. The word zakaat is connected
by idaafah (genitive structure in Arabic grammar) to fitr because the
occasion of breaking the fast is the reason why this zakaat becomes
obligatory.
Reasons for zakaat al-fitr and what Islamsays about it
Ibn 'Abbaas said: "TheMessenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) made zakaat al-fitr obligatory as a means of
purifying the fasting person from idle talk and foul language, and to
feed the poor. Whoever pays it before the prayer, it is an accepted
zakaat,and whoever pays it after the prayer, it is just a kind of
charity (sadaqah)."
(Reported by Abu Dawood, 1371. Al-Nawawi said: Abu Dawood reported it
from Ibn 'Abbaas with a hasan isnaad).
"Purifying" means purifying the soul of the one who has fasted
Ramadaan. With regard to the word "foul language", Ibn al-Atheer said:
" 'Foul language' refers to obscene speech. 'Feeding [the poor]'
refers to food that is edible. 'Whoever paysit before the prayer'
means before Salaat al-'Eid. 'It is an accepted zakaat' – here zakaat
means sadaqat al-fitr. 'Just a kind of charity' means a kind of
charity that could be given at any time."
( 'Awn al-Ma'bood Sharh Abi Dawood ).
It was said that this is what was meant by the aayah in Soorat
al-A'laa (interpretation of the meaning): "But those will prosper who
purify themselves, and glorify the name of their Guardian-Lord, and
(lift their hearts) in Prayer." [al-A'laa 87:14-15 – Yusuf Ali's
translation] . It was reported that 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Azeez
andAbu'l-'Aaliyah said: "He [the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him)] paid zakaat al-fitr then he went out for the
prayer – i.e., Salaat al-'Eid.
(Al-Jassaas, Ahkaam al-Qur'aan , part 3, Soorat al-A'laa ).
Wakee' ibn al-Jarraahsaid: "Zakaat al-fitr for the month of Ramadaan
is like twosajdahs of sahw for the prayer. It makes up for any
shortcomings in the fast as the prostrations make upfor any
shortcomings in the prayer."
(Al-Nawawi, al-Majmoo' , part 6).
Rulings on zakaat al-fitr
The correct view is that it is fard (obligatory), because Ibn 'Umar
said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) made zakaat al-fitr obligatory," and because of the consensus of
the scholars (ijmaa') that it is fard.
( Al-Mughni , part 2, Baab Sadaqat al-Fitr ).
When it has to be given
It becomes obligatorywhen the sun sets on the last day of Ramadaan.
Anyone who gets married, has a baby born to him or becomes Muslim
before the sun sets on that day, has to give zakaat al-fitr [on behalf
of himself and/or his new wife or new baby], but if that happens after
sunset, he does not have to give it… Whoever dies after sunset on the
night of fitr, sadaqat al-fitr must be given on his behalf. This is
what Ahmad stated."
( Al-Mughni , part 2, Fasl Waqt Wujoob Zakaat al-Fitr ).
Who is obliged to payit?
1. Zakaat al-fitr is obligatory on Muslims. Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah beupon him) made zakaat al-fitr, one saa' of dates or one
saa' of barley, obligatory on the Muslims, slave and free, male and
female, young and old."
(Al-Bukhaari, 1407)
· Al-Shaafa'i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: �The hadeeth of
Naafi� indicates that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) made it obligatory only on the Muslims, which isin
accordance with the Book of Allaah, may He be glorified, because He
has made zakaat as a purification for the Muslims, and purification
can only be for the Muslims.�
( Al-Umm , part2, Baab Zakaat al-Fitr ).
· It is obligatory on those who are able topay it. Al-Shaafa'i said:
�Everyone who, at the beginning of Shawwaal, has enough food for
himself and those whom he is supporting, for that day, and has enough
to give zakaat al-fitr on behalf of them and himself, should give it
on behalf of them and himself. If he only has enough to give on behalf
of some of them, then he should give on behalf of some of them. If he
only has enough for himself and those whom he is supporting, then heis
not obliged to give zakaat al-fitr on his own behalf or on behalf of
those whom he is supporting."
( Al-Umm , part 2, Baab Zakaat al-Fitr ).

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3a] Which is more important, repeating the word of the adhaan or hastening to break the fast?

3a]
then he says, 'Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar (Allaah is most great,
Allaah is most great),' and you say, 'Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar
(Allaah is most great, Allaah is most great)'; then he says, 'Laa
ilaaha ill-Allaah (There is no god but Allaah),' and one of you says,
'Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (There is no god but Allaah),' from the heart,
he will enter Paradise."
There is no conflict between hastening to break the fast and repeating
the words of the muezzin. The fasting person can hasten to break his
fast as soon as the sun has set, and at thesame time he can repeat the
words of the muezzin.Then he will have attained both virtues, the
virtue of hastening to break the fast and the virtue of repeating the
words of the muezzin.
People from ancient timesuntil now have always spoken whilst eating;
they do not think that eating keeps them from speaking. But it should
be noted that hastening to break the fast may be done by eating
anything, even if it is something small like a date or drinking water.
It does not mean that he should eat until he is full.
The same applies if the adhaan for Fajr is given when one is eating
sahoor; he can combine the two without difficulty.
But if the muezzin gives the adhaan for Fajr after the time for it
begins, then one must stop eating and drinking whenthe adhaan is
heard.

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