Ramadan Articles - Zakat ul-Fitr

Its Ruling
Zakat-ul-Fitr is a Sunnah that is obligatory upon every individual
Muslim. This is due to Ibn 'Umar's statement, may Allah be pleased
with him:
"The Messenger of Allah made Zakat-ul-Fitr obligatory during Ramadhan
as one Sa' of dried dates or one Sa' of barley upon the slave and the
free man, the male and the female, andthe young and the old of the
Muslims." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Its Wisdom
From the wisdom of Zakat-ul-Fitr is that it purifies the fasting soul
from the effects of useless, non-beneficial speech (or acts) and
obscene speech (or behavior). Likewise, it keeps the poor and needy
people from having to beg on the day of 'Eid.
Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The Messenger of
Allah made Zakat-ul-Fitr obligatory as a purification for the fasting
person from useless, non-beneficial speech (or acts) and obscene
speech (or behavior), and as a means of feeding the poor." (Abu Dawud
and Ibn Majah, and it was graded Sahih by Al-Hakim). [1]
The Prophet saws also said:
Keep them (the poor) from having to beg on this day.(Al-Bayhaqi - and
its chain of narrationis weak)
The Amount and Type of Food
The amount of Zakat-ul-Fitr is a Sa' and a Sa' is four Amdad (cupped
handfuls). It is given fromthe usual staple foods of the people of the
land, whether it is wheat, or barley, or dried dates, or rice, or
raisins or cheese. This is due to the statement of Abu Sa'id (may
Allah be pleased with him):
"When the Messenger of Allah was among us, we used to give
Zakat-ul-Fitr on behalf of every person, young and old, free or owned
(i.e. a slave), as a Sa' of Ta'am, [2]or a Sa' of cheese (dried milk)
or a Sa' of barley or a Sa' of dried dates, or a Sa' of raisins."
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
It is Only given from items of Food
It is obligatory that Zakat-ul-Fitr be given from the types of food.
Money should not be given in place of it, except if there is a
pressing need to do so. This is because it is not confirmed that the
Prophet gave money for it in place of food. It has not even been
reported from the Companions that they gave money (for Zakat-ul-Fitr).
Its Time
Zakat-ul-Fitr becomes obligatory with the coming of the night of the
'Eid (i.e. the night before the 1st of Shawwal). It is to be paida day
or two before the day of the 'Eid, as Ibn 'Umar used to do, and
thetime of giving generosity, which is fromthe time Fajr comes in on
the day of the 'Eid until just before the prayer (Salat-ul-'Eid). This
is due to the Prophet's saws command that Zakat-ul-Fitr be given
before the people come out to the prayer. Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be
pleased with him, said:
"The Messenger of Allah made Zakat-ul-Fitr obligatory as a
purification for the fasting person from useless, non-beneficial
speech (or acts) and obscene speech (or behavior), and as a means of
feeding the poor. So whoever gives itbefore the prayer
(Salat-ul-'Eid), then it is an accepted Zakah, and whoever gives it
after the prayer (Salat-ul-'Eid), then it is a form of charity
(Sadaqah)." (It has been mentioned previously.)
The time of making it up (i.e. paying it late) is afterthe 'Eid prayer
and anytime thereafter. Zakat-ul-Fitr may be given during this time
(following the prayer) and it is acceptable, however it is disliked
(to give it late).
Its Recipients
The recipients of Zakat-ul-Fitr are the same as the recipients of the
general Zakat, except that the poor and the needy have more right toit
than the other people who have a share in it. This is based upon the
Prophet's statement:
Keep them from having to beg on this day.(Al-Bayhaqi and its chain of
narration is weak)
Therefore, it is not given to other than the poor, unless there are no
poor people or their poverty islight (i.e. not severe) or the need of
others besides them, who have a share in it, has become severe.
Important Notes:
1.It is permissible for a wealthy woman to pay her Zakah to her
husband, who is poor, however the opposite is not permissible. This is
because the maintenance of the woman is obligatory upon the man and
the maintenance of the man is not obligatory upon the woman.
2.Zakat-ul-Fitr is not required from one whodoes not possess a
day'sworth of food, as Allah does not burden a soul except with what
it canbear.
3.Whoever possesses more than a day's worth of food and he gives it
(as his Zakat-ul-Fitr), this will suffice him. This is due to Allah's
statement:So fear Allah as much as you are able.(64:16)
4.It is permissible to give the charity of an individual to a number
of people, distributing it among them, and it ispermissible to give
the charity of a number of individuals to one individual, as the
giving of charity is mentioned in the Shari'ah in unrestrictedterms.
5.The Zakat-ul-Fitr is obligatory upon the Muslim in the land in which
he resides.
6.It is not permissible to transfer Zakat-ul-Fitr from one land to
another, except if thereis a pressing need. Its Situation is the same
as Zakah.
Footnotes
1.The remainder of it states: "So whoever gives it before the prayer
(Salat-ul-'Eid), then it is an accepted Zakah, and whoever gives it
after the prayer ( Salat-ul-'Eid) , then it ischarity (Sadaqah) from
the charities."
2.The meaning of Ta'am is millet or corn.

Fathwa, - Umra Acceptance and Husband's Dua Against It

Question:
I went to umrah with my husband a few weeks ago, and subhanallah it
was such an amazing experience. A few daysbefore we arrived home me
and my husband had an argument, in the heat of the moment he said i
hope your umrah does not get accepted. i could not believe what he
said, he apologised straight away, and said he did not mean it, but my
fear is what if what he said gets accepted by Allah, what do i do. i
still haven't forgiven my husband as i am so hurt, it really felt as
if he divorced me. pleasehelp me by answering my question. salam
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Dear Sister,
Assalamu alaikum,
I pray this finds you well.
Your husband's words have no effect. What matters is that you
performed your Umrah in accordance with the Sunna, following all the
proper manners entailedtherein. If your intentionwas for Allah Ta'ala,
thenyou should think well of Allah Most High and trust Him to reward
you for this act of devotion.
What your husband said was hurtful and it's goodthat he apologized.
You should move on, but perhaps consider why you had an argument at
such a time and what you can do in the future to prevent it from
reoccurring.
Wasalaam,

Fathwa, - Pregnancy during Ramadan

Question:
am 6 weeks pregnant.This is my second pregnancy. The first one was
extremely difficult. What are the recommended dua during pregnancy
especially for things such as nausea and vomiting. The links under the
other pregnancy question donot work hence my question. W''salaamu
alaykum w.w
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Dear Sister,
Assaalamu alaikum,
I pray this message finds you in good health and spirits.
Generally, any heartfelt dua is appropriate. You also want to try to
read and listen to as much Qur'an as possible. Dhikr in the form of
glorification and praise of Allah and salutations upon the Messenger,
Allah bless him and give him peace, is very helpful.
You need to speak to your doctor to see what her recommendations are.
Make sure to drink plenty of water and try to incorporate vegetables
and fruit into your diet. These things will help to counter
dehydration. Ginger tea may be helpful in soothing an upset stomach,
but, again, you should check with your doctor.
Strive as much as possible to have a peaceful environment in the
house. Do not overburden yourself with housework and cooking. Enlist
the help of your husband and other family members.
Finally, I would advise eating frequent small meals throughout the
day, rather than three large meals since this might be easier on your
digestion. And don't feel bad about lying down when you have to. Rest
isthe important thing for you.
Here are some articles that might be helpful:
Pre-Birth Questions
I am a young woman who is suffering from a serious illness. Is there
something I should do, spiritually, or recite?
What is the famous dhikr against depression?
I pray that Allah Ta'ala blesses you with a healthy and joyful
pregnancy; a safe, smooth childbirth; and a happy, healthy baby.
Wasalaam,

Fathwa, - Mother-in-law rights on the son?

Question:
Assalamu Alikum, My mother-in-law is a divorced woman who had only my
husband as a child. She constantly likes to know our affairs and says
as long as it's not the sexual relationshipissues then she needs to
know how much myhusband makes, dictates where we live including NEVER
leaving the state where she lives cause she is lonely. She has many
brothers that live very close to her but she demands that we live very
close. we are about 45 minutes away. with our son I feel more
comfortable leaving him with my mom if we travel cause I have many
issues with my mother-in-law but she makes a big deal out of that too.
she has many bad habits and made many mistakes raising her son that
makes me not trust her judgment like smoking and dating men and
drinking and so forth.I feel that we can not make a single decision
without her interfering in it. my husband does not like to tell her
much about our lives but she really demands to know if hedoesn't want
to tell her and eventually he does and this causes a lot of stress on
our marriage. I feel that anything such as money or where we live or
when we take a vacation or where I want to leave my son cause of
concerns about her behavior should be up to us and not up to whether
she will get upset over it or not. she demanded once before that he
divorces me and she slandered me in an email to him. this led to him
wanting to divorce me 3 times in a matter of a couple of months. what
should we do since we went to many sheiks who would give general
advice of try harder to please your mom but don't ruin your marriage
and honestlynothing pleases her but to know and dictate our lives and
I can't and don't want tolive like that. please advise on what to do.
you are my last resort and may Allah help us all. Ameen
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Dear Sister,
Assalamu alaikum,
I pray you are doing well.
Kind treatment remains arequirement from your husband to his mother.
Nonetheless, her behavior certainly sounds way out of line. What is
needed here is for your husband to develop a backbone and let his
mother know that he won't tolerate abuse or disrespect of his family.
The religion does not require him to disclose his income or live in
the same city as his mother. As long as her needs are being met in
terms of kind treatment, companionship, and maintenance, then your
husband has done his duty.
You and your husband should set guidelines for how you will handle the
situation as a couple. These guidelines should be adhered to, because,
in the long run, they will bring more peace into the family,
insha'Allah.
I also suggest you seek out couples counseling.
And Allah knows best.