Sulaiman Dhikrullah (As-Suluudiy)
Zakaatul Fitr is a charity that is to be paid by every capable Muslims regardless of class on or before the end of Ramadhan. Every man is meant to pay the zakaat on behalf of everyone under him such as his wives, children, slaves and everyone dependant on him.
Scholars of Tafseer also quote Suratul a’la verses fourteen and fifteen thus “He indeed shall be successful who purifies himself” to authenticate zakaatul Fitr. The “zakka” there implies zakaatul Fitr as explained by some mufassiruun.
This is why Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar reported that: “The Prophet, upon whom be peace, enjoined the payment of one sa’ of dates or one sa’ of barley as zakat ul-fitr on every Muslim, young and old, male and female, free and slave.”
The primary purpose of every Zakaat is to purify the payer because the word Zakaat was derived from an Arabic word “zaka’a” which means “to purify”, zakatul Fitr therefore has come to purify the fasting Muslims from any errors or sins they have committed and at the same time put smiles on the faces of every fasting Muslims at the festival days.
This is why ibn Abbas Reported in another Hadith quoted in Fiqh Sunnah as related in the collections of Abu dawud thus;
The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, enjoined zakat ul-fitr on the one who fasts to shield one’s self from any indecent act or speech and for the purpose of providing food for the needy. It is accepted as zakah for the person who pays it before the ‘id salah, and it is sadaqah for the one who pays it after the salah.
The above affirms the purposes of zakaatul Fitr as stated earlier and further establishes the time zakaatul Fitr must be paid. Zakaatul Fitr should therefore be paid by all capable Muslims who have at least what can survive them for a day.
What item is used to pay Zakaatul Fitr and what’s the quantity?
All scholars of Islam agreed that any major food known to a particular community especially grains are approved for zakaatul Fitr. The above assertion is based on several hadeeths of the prophet. In one of the narrations, it was reported thus;
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported: “We used to give on behalf of every child, old person, freeman, and slave during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, one sa’ of food, or one sa’ of dried cottage cheese, or one sa’ of barley, or one sa’ of dates, or one sa’ of raisins as zakat ul-fitr…”
Based on the above hadith, we can say that the quantity approved for zakaatul Fitr is one sa’ of any of the chosen food. A sa’ is a combination of four mudds for those who don’t have the sa’. A sa’ is 2kilogram of any of the items and little or 14 cups of milk.
The issue of paying with cash has also been argued among contemporary scholars, while some approved the payment with cash because it enables beneficiaries to purchase some other items needed to cook like stew, meat among other things, some other scholars disapproved of it because the prophet never payed using cash, either of the opinion we stick to as Muslims, we are safe as both sets of scholars have valid evidences to buttress their arguments.
What time can we start paying?
Scholars deferred regarding when to start paying with valid evidences, according to Abu Hanifah, it is permissible to pay it even before Ramadan. Ash-Shaf’i holds that it is permissible to do so at the beginning of Ramadan. Malik and Ahmad (in his well-known view) maintain that it is permissible to pay it only one or two days in advance.
The ijma among the companions of the prophet is to pay the zakaatul Fitr a day or two days before the Eid day so that the purpose of putting smiles of Muslims faces on Eid days can be well fulfilled. The payment of zakaatul Fitr ends after the Eid prayer, this can be buttressed in an hadith as referenced earlier, the hadith is quoted thus:
“If one pays zakat ul-fitr before the salah, it is considered an accepted zakah. If he pays it after the salah, it is considered an ordinary sadaqah.” Therefore we urge everyone to pay the Zakaat before the Eid prayer.
Who are the beneficiaries of Zakaatul Fitr?
The beneficiaries of Zakaatul Fitr are basically the beneficiaries of zakaat as explained in Suratul Tawbah, verse 60 thus:
إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
Alms are only for the poor and the needy, and the officials (appointed) over them, and those whose hearts are made to incline (to truth) and the (ransoming of) captives and those in debts and in the way of Allah and the wayfarer; an ordinance from Allah; and Allah is knowing, Wise.
In conclusion, I encourage all capable Muslims to pay their zakaatul Fitr and we should ensure it goes to the real beneficiaries. Muslims are discouraged from seeking to be a beneficiary when he or she has enough to eat in his home for at least a day because the prophet said the hand that gives is better than the hand that takes.
