Zakat Al-Fitr in the Light of Sunnah

[Omm AL-Homayra'a]

Zakat al Fitr
is an obligatory charity on every Muslim at the end of the month of Ramadan. Ibn `Umar said: "The Prophet, sallaallahu `alayhe wa sallam, enjoined the payment of one Sa'a of dates or one Sa'a of barley as Zakat al-Fitr on every Muslim, young and old, male and female, free and slave." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim)


The Amount of Zakat al-Fitr

As the first hadeeth indicated, the amount of Zakat al-Fitr is one Sa'a. Sa'a is a volume measure corresponding approximately to the volume of 5 lb of good wheat. The material of the Zakat can be either dates, barley, wheat, rice, corn or similar items considered as basic foods. Abu Saeed said: "We used to give for Zakat al-Fitr on behalf of every child, aged person, free man or slave during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, sallaallahu `alayhe wa sallam, one Sa'a of food, or one Sa'a of dried yogurt, or one Sa'a of barley, or one Sa'a of dates, or one Sa'a of raisins." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Time for Zakat al-Fitr

Zakat al-Fitr has to be paid by the end of Ramadan. There are two times to pay Zakat al-Fitr.

1Either one or two days before Eid as 'Umar used to do

or
2 the day of Eid before the Eid prayer

Ibn `Umar reported that the Prophet, sallaallahu `alayhe wa sallam, ordered them to pay Zakat al-Fitr before they go out to perform the Eid prayer.

If Zakat al-Fitr is paid after the Eid prayer, it will only be considered as regular charity. The Prophet, sallaallahu `alayhe wa sallam, said: "If one pays Zakat al-Fitr before the Salat, it is considered an accepted Zakat, if he pays it after the Salat, it is considered an ordinary charity." (Related by Abu Dawud.)

Zakat al-Fitr is to be given to the same eight categories or people as in the other types of Zakat. Some scholars say that the poor and the needy are the most deserving ones since the Prophet, sallaallahu `alayhe wa sallam, said that it had "...the purpose of providing food for the needy."

& this is a table that shows some kind of food that was checked by Sheikh Muhammad Ferkous (an Algerian Salafi sheikh) ,but I converted the grams to pounds since it is the common measurement used in the west