Written by: Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri
Paying Fitrana is obligatory, as stated by Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) obligated the Fitrana of a Sa’ of dates or barley upon the Muslims, whether they are slaves, free, male, female, young, or old." (Sahih Bukhari 1503, Sahih Muslim 983).
It is established that Fitrana is obligatory upon Muslim slaves, not non-Muslims. If someone argues that Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"There is no charity obligatory upon the slave except for the Fitrana." (Sahih Muslim 982).
The response to this is that this Hadith is general, while the aforementioned Hadith of Ibn Umar is specific, and the specific takes precedence over the general.
Hafiz Khattabi wrote under this Hadith:
"This Hadith does not indicate the end of the obligation of Fitrana because the increase in the type of worship does not necessitate the abrogation of the original. Additionally, Zakat is obligatory on wealth, while Fitrana is obligatory on individuals." (Ma'alim al-Sunan 2/214).
"There is no harm in giving Fitrana in the form of silver." (Tarikh Ibn Ma'in 2765, 2326).
This is the right of the Salafi Muslims who follow the Shariah and perform prayers. It can also be spent on religious schools of the people of truth. Unfortunately, in our society, the valuable wealth of Muslims is often consumed by “official” organizations and movements in the name of religion, while the deserving remain deprived.
Paying Fitrana is obligatory, as stated by Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) obligated the Fitrana of a Sa’ of dates or barley upon the Muslims, whether they are slaves, free, male, female, young, or old." (Sahih Bukhari 1503, Sahih Muslim 983).
It is established that Fitrana is obligatory upon Muslim slaves, not non-Muslims. If someone argues that Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
لیس فی العبد صد قۃ الَا صدقۃ الفطر.
"There is no charity obligatory upon the slave except for the Fitrana." (Sahih Muslim 982).
The response to this is that this Hadith is general, while the aforementioned Hadith of Ibn Umar is specific, and the specific takes precedence over the general.
Benefits:
- The Hijazi Sa’ is equivalent to two and a quarter kilograms, with its decimal weight being 2.099.
- Sa’d bin Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded us to pay the Fitrana before the obligation of Zakat was revealed. When the Zakat was revealed, he neither commanded us nor prohibited us from paying it, and we continued to do so." (Musnad Ahmad 6/6, Sunan al-Nasa'i 2509, Sunan Ibn Majah 1828, Al-Sunan al-Kubra al-Bayhaqi 4/109, and its chain is authentic).
Hafiz Khattabi wrote under this Hadith:
وھذا الا یدلّ علی زوال وجوبھا ، وذلک أنّ الزّیادۃ فی جنس العباد ۃ لا یو جب نسخ الأ صل المزید علیہ ، غیر أنّ محلّ الزّکوات الأ موال ومحلّ زکاۃ الفطر الرّقاب۔
"This Hadith does not indicate the end of the obligation of Fitrana because the increase in the type of worship does not necessitate the abrogation of the original. Additionally, Zakat is obligatory on wealth, while Fitrana is obligatory on individuals." (Ma'alim al-Sunan 2/214).
- It is better to pay one Sa’ of the food commonly used, such as wheat, barley, dates, cheese, raisins, etc., per person. It should be noted that Fitrana can also be paid in the form of money or silver.
لیس بہ بأ س أن یعطی زکاۃ رمضان فضۃ۔
"There is no harm in giving Fitrana in the form of silver." (Tarikh Ibn Ma'in 2765, 2326).
- Fitrana should be paid before the Eid prayer, as Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made Fitrana obligatory to purify the fasting person from idle and obscene talk and to feed the poor. Whoever pays it before the Eid prayer, it will be accepted as Zakat, and whoever pays it after the Eid prayer, it will be an ordinary charity." (Sunan Abu Dawood 1609, Sunan Ibn Majah 1828, and its chain is good).
- Fitrana can be paid a day or two before Eid, as Imam Ayub Sakhtiyani reported that he asked Nafi' when Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pay the Sa’. Nafi’ said, "When the collector would sit to collect." I asked, "When would he sit?" Nafi’ replied, "A day or two before Eid al-Fitr." (Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah 2397, and its chain is authentic).
- It should be noted that Fitrana is the right of the poor.
This is the right of the Salafi Muslims who follow the Shariah and perform prayers. It can also be spent on religious schools of the people of truth. Unfortunately, in our society, the valuable wealth of Muslims is often consumed by “official” organizations and movements in the name of religion, while the deserving remain deprived.
- The purpose of Fitrana is to seek forgiveness for the shortcomings and mistakes during fasting, to purify the fasting person from idle and obscene talk, and to ensure that the needy do not have to wander from door to door on the day of Eid. Fitrana is a unique and excellent form of gratitude, a means of earning Allah's pleasure and satisfaction, bringing blessings and peace to the home, protecting from all kinds of evil and harm, fostering mutual love and mercy, eliminating hatred and resentment, showcasing human sympathy, and forming a dignified society.