Explanation of Fitrana
Question:
What is said about Fitrana?
Answer:
There is consensus on the obligation of Fitrana.
❀ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, states: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, made one Sa’ of dates or barley obligatory as Fitrana on the Muslims’ slaves, free persons, men, women, young and old during Ramadan.”
Note:
Fitrana is obligatory on a Muslim slave, not on a non-Muslim slave.
❀ Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reports that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
لَيْسَ فِي الْعَبْدِ صَدَقَةٌ إِلَّا صَدَقَةُ الْفِطْرِ.
“Zakat is not obligatory on a slave, but Sadaqat al-Fitr is.”
This hadith is general, but the hadith of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, specifies that “slave” here means a Muslim slave.
Benefit:
❀ Sayyiduna Qais bin Saad bin Ubada رضي الله عنهما narrates:
أَمَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِصَدَقَةِ الْفِطْرِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَنْزِلَ الزَّكَاةُ، فَلَمَّا نَزَلَتِ الزَّكَاةُ لَمْ يَأْمُرْنَا وَلَمْ يَنْهَنَا وَنَحْنُ نَفْعَلُهٗ.
“Before the command of Zakat was revealed, the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ordered us to give Sadaqat al-Fitr. When the command of Zakat was revealed, the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم neither commanded us nor forbade us, but we continued to give it.”
This hadith has been declared “Sahih” by Imam Ibn Khuzaymah رحمه الله (2394) and Imam Hakim رحمه الله (410/1), and Hafiz Dhahabi رحمه الله has agreed with their assessment.
❀ Hafiz Khattabi رحمه الله (388 AH) states:
هٰذَا لَا يَدُلُّ عَلٰى زَوَالِ وُجُوبِهَا، وَذٰلِكَ أَنَّ الزِّيَادَةَ فِي جِنْسِ الْعِبَادَةِ لَا يُوجِبُ نَسْخَ الْأَصْلِ الْمَزِيدِ عَلَيْهِ، غَيْرَ أَنَّ مَحَلَّ الزَّكَوَاتِ الْأَمْوَالُ وَمَحَلَّ زَكَاةِ الْفِطْرِ الرِّقَابُ.
“This hadith does not prove that Sadaqat al-Fitr is no longer obligatory, because an addition in worship does not annul the original ruling. It should also be noted that Zakat is obligatory on wealth, whereas Sadaqat al-Fitr is obligatory on the person.”
Issues related to Sadaqat al-Fitr:
① The Hijazi Sa’ is two seers and four chitqans, its decimal weight is 2.099 kilograms.
② Food items, such as wheat, barley, dates, cheese, raisins, etc. It is better that one Sa’ of Fitrana is given per person; money, coins, or silver can also be given as Fitrana.
❀ This is the position of Umar bin Abdul Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him.
❀ This is also the belief of Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him.
❀ Imam Yahya bin Ma’in, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
لَيْسَ بِهٖ بَأْسٌ أَنْ يُعْطٰى زَكَاةُ رَمَضَانَ فِضَّةً.
“Silver can also be given as Sadaqah al-Fitr; there is no harm in that.”
③ Sadaqah al-Fitr should be given before the Eid prayer.
❀ Our Master Abdullah bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, narrates: “The Noble Messenger, peace be upon him, made Fitrana obligatory to purify the fast from vain talk and obscene speech and to feed the poor. If it is given before the Eid prayer, it will be accepted; if given after, it will be considered a general charity.”
Imam Hakim, may Allah have mercy on him (409/1), declared this hadith “Sahih,” and Hafiz Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, agreed with this assessment.
④ Sadaqah al-Fitr should be given at the end of Ramadan before the Eid prayer. If there is a Bayt al-Mal system, then Fitrana can be collected a day or two earlier so that it can be gathered in the Bayt al-Mal and distributed to the deserving before Eid. If there is no Bayt al-Mal, then Fitrana should be given at the end of Ramadan, not before that.
❀ It was asked to Nafi’ (may Allah have mercy on him) when Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) used to give Sadaqah al-Fitr. He said: When the collector of Sadaqah would sit down. It was asked: When did he sit down? He said: One or two days before Eid al-Fitr.
⑤ Fitrana is only the right of the poor.
Fitrana is the right of practicing and praying Muslims; it can also be spent on the religious seminaries of the Ahl-e-Haq.
⑥ Since Fitrana is obligatory on every Muslim, it is not correct to impose the condition of being Sahib-e-Nisab (possessing the minimum amount of wealth).
⑦ The purpose of Fitrana is to seek forgiveness for deficiencies and shortcomings during fasting, to purify from useless and obscene speech, and to assist the needy.
Fitrana is the best and unparalleled form of gratitude, a cause of Allah’s pleasure and satisfaction, a source of goodness, blessings, peace, and tranquility in the home, a safe path to avoid all kinds of evil and harm, it gives rise to love and affection, eradicates hatred and animosities, is a magnificent manifestation of human sympathy, and helps form a dignified society.
Question:
On whom is Sadaqat al-Fitr obligatory?
Answer:
Sadaqat al-Fitr is obligatory on every Muslim, including the rich, the poor, the free, the slave, residents, travelers, adults, and minors.
Question:
Can a loan be taken to pay Sadaqat al-Fitr?
Answer:
Zakat al-Fitr is obligatory, and it can be paid on credit as well. The poor person who is given the Fitrana will pay their own Fitrana from it.
Question:
Can Zakat al-Fitr be paid after Eid al-Fitr?
Answer:
Zakat al-Fitr must be paid before going out for Eid. Paying it after the prayer will not count as payment of Zakat al-Fitr, but it will be considered a general charity.
❀ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) made Fitrana obligatory to purify the fasting person from idle talk and foul language and to feed the poor. Whoever pays it before the Eid prayer, it will be accepted from him, and whoever pays it after the Eid prayer, it will be considered one of the general charities.”
Imam Hakim (may Allah have mercy on him) declared this hadith “Sahih” (authentic) (409/1), and Hafiz Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) agreed with him.
Question:
After the ruling of Zakat has come, has the obligation of Zakat al-Fitr ended?
Answer:
Sayyiduna Qais bin Saad bin Ubada رضي الله عنه narrates: “Before the command of Zakat was revealed, the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ordered us to give Sadaqat al-Fitr. When the command of Zakat was revealed, the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم neither ordered us nor forbade us, but we continued to give it.”
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah رحمه الله (2394) and Imam Hakim رحمه الله (410/1) have declared this hadith “Sahih,” and Hafiz Dhahabi رحمه الله has agreed with their view.
❀ Hafiz Khattabi رحمه الله (388 AH) writes under this hadith: “This hadith does not indicate the abrogation of the obligation of Sadaqat al-Fitr, because an increase in the type of worship does not necessitate the abrogation of the original ruling. Also, (one difference is that) Zakat is obligatory on wealth, whereas Sadaqat al-Fitr is obligatory on persons.”
Question:
Whose local price should be considered for Sadaqat al-Fitr?
Answer:
The price of each respective area should be considered.
Question:
Is Sadaqat al-Fitr obligatory on the poor as well?
Answer:
Zakat al-Fitr is obligatory on every poor and rich Muslim. If a poor person does not have anything to give as Zakat al-Fitr, then those who give Zakat al-Fitr on his behalf will fulfill their own obligation by doing so.
Question:
Is Zakat al-Fitr only obligatory on those who possess the nisab?
Answer:
Fitrana is obligatory on every living Muslim, whether male or female, poor or rich, free or slave, adult or minor; in other words, it is obligatory on every Muslim. The master will pay the Fitrana of the slave.
❀ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) made one Sa’ of dates or barley obligatory as Fitrana on the Muslims’ slaves, free persons, men, women, young, and old during Ramadan.”
To say that Zakat al-Fitr is only obligatory on those who possess the nisab is baseless.
Question:
If someone has paid Zakat on wealth during Ramadan, will he also pay Zakat al-Fitr?
Answer:
Zakat al-Fitr is a separate obligation and Zakat is a separate obligation. Performing one obligation does not fulfill the other.
Question:
Who will pay the Zakat al-Fitr for the household members?
Answer:
The head of the household will pay the Zakat al-Fitr.
Question:
If one brother pays the Fitrana for another, will it be valid or not?
Answer:
It will be valid.
Question:
Are young boys who give their earnings to their father obligated to pay Zakat al-Fitr?
Answer:
They are also obligated to pay Zakat al-Fitr; however, whether they pay it themselves or their father pays it on their behalf, both ways it will be valid.
Question:
Is it permissible to give rice, etc., as Fitrana?
Answer:
It is correct.
Question:
If there is no one except prisoners in a place, can Zakat al-Fitr be given to them, even though legally it is prohibited to give to these prisoners?
Answer:
Zakat al-Fitr can be given to monotheistic and deserving prisoners.
Question:
In an area where rice is the main food, for example Bengal, can Zakat al-Fitr be given in the form of rice?
Answer:
One Sa’ of any type of food can be given as Zakat al-Fitr.
Question:
In an area where there are no poor or needy people, to whom should Zakat al-Fitr be given?
Answer:
If there is no poor or needy person in the local area, then the Fitrana should be sent to another area, and in this case, Zakat al-Fitr can also be paid one or two days before Eid, so that the rights of the deserving reach them on time.
❀ Imam Ayub Sakhtiyani, may Allah have mercy on him, states: “I asked Nafi, may Allah have mercy on him, when did Sayyiduna Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, pay the Sa’ (measure)? Nafi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: When the collector (the one who collects Zakat) would sit. I asked: When did he sit? Nafi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: He would sit one or two days before Eid al-Fitr.”
Question:
Is it permissible to divide one person’s Fitrana among several people?
Answer:
It is permissible.
Question:
Who should pay the Fitrana for a woman?
Answer:
Her husband.
Question:
Should the Fitrana for the entire household be given to one person or can it be given to several people?
Answer:
It can be given to one person or to several people.
Question:
Can only specified items be given as Fitrana?
Answer:
It is better that the specified items be given as Fitrah; however, if another type of item equivalent to one Sa’ is given, there is no harm.
Question:
Can a Hashemi be given Sadaqah al-Fitr?
Answer:
Fitrah is one of the obligatory charities, which is not permissible for the family of the Prophet ﷺ to receive; therefore, Sadaqah al-Fitr cannot be given to any Hashemi, even if he is poor and needy.
Question:
How is it to give Sadaqah al-Fitr to the Imam of the mosque?
Answer:
If he is poor, then Sadaqah al-Fitr can be given to the Imam of the mosque.
Question:
If a poor person owes some debt, can the lender forgive the debt with the intention of Fitrah?
Answer:
If the poor person wants to repay the debt but cannot due to financial hardship, then the lender can forgive the debt with the intention of Fitrah.
Question:
Are the recipients of Sadaqah al-Fitr the same as those of Zakat?
Answer:
Sadaqah al-Fitr is only for the poor and needy. It is not permissible to give Sadaqah al-Fitr to other categories of Zakat recipients.
Question:
How is it to give Zakat and Sadaqah al-Fitr to a non-Muslim?
Answer:
It is not permissible.
Question:
When should Zakat al-Fitr be paid?
Answer:
The time for Zakat al-Fitr is from the sighting of the Shawwal moon until before the Eid prayer. However, if there is a Bayt al-Mal (public treasury) system in place, it can be collected a day or two earlier.
Question:
What is the ruling regarding Zakat al-Fitr?
Answer:
Zakat al-Fitr is obligatory on every Muslim, adult and minor, male and female, free and slave, and its payment is obligatory on the head of the household.
❀ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) made Zakat al-Fitr obligatory on the people during Ramadan, which is one Sa’ of dates or barley on every Muslim man, woman, free, and slave.”
Question:
Is Zakat al-Fitr obligatory on a child born on the night of Eid?
Answer:
There is no Zakat al-Fitr on a child born after the sighting of the Eid moon, because Zakat al-Fitr is the charity of Ramadan, and as soon as the Eid moon is sighted, Ramadan ends and Shawwal begins. In fact, the ruling for paying Zakat al-Fitr is that it should be paid before going out for Eid on the first of Shawwal.
❀ Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates:
فَرَضَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَدَقَةَ رَمَضَانَ عَلَى الْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدِ، وَالذَّكَرِ وَالْأُنْثٰى صَاعًا مِّنْ تَمْرٍ، أَوْ صَاعًا مِّنْ شَعِيرٍ.
“The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) made Zakat al-Fitr obligatory in Ramadan, which is one Sa’ of dates or barley on every Muslim, free or slave, male or female.”
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