Is Ṣadaqat al-Fiṭr (Fiṭrah) Obligatory or Sunnah? Detailed Ruling on Its Amount, Time, and Payment

Source:​

Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, Page 565

Question:​

Is Ṣadaqat al-Fiṭr (Zakat al-Fiṭr) obligatory or Sunnah? And when should it be paid?

Answer:​

Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!


Ṣadaqat al-Fiṭr, also known as Zakat al-Fiṭr, is the charity that becomes obligatory (wājib) at the end of Ramaḍān.
It is incumbent upon every Muslim — whether slave or free, male or female, young or old.


As Sayyid Muḥammad al-Sābiq al-Miṣrī wrote:


“It is obligatory upon every Muslim individual — young or old, male or female, free or slave.”
(Fiqh al-Sunnah, Vol. 1, p. 249)

Proof of Obligation​

The proof of its obligation is found in the following authentic ḥadīth:


عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، قَالَ: «فَرَضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ زَكَاةَ الفِطْرِ صَاعًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ، أَوْ صَاعًا مِنْ شَعِيرٍ عَلَى العَبْدِ وَالحُرِّ، وَالذَّكَرِ وَالأُنْثَى، وَالصَّغِيرِ وَالكَبِيرِ مِنَ المُسْلِمِينَ، وَأَمَرَ بِهَا أَنْ تُؤَدَّى قَبْلَ خُرُوجِ النَّاسِ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ.»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Bāb Farḍ Ṣadaqat al-Fiṭr)


Translation:
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما narrated:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ made Zakat al-Fiṭr obligatory — one ṣāʿ of dates or one ṣāʿ of barley — upon every Muslim: slave or free, male or female, young or old. He ordered that it be paid before the people go out for the Eid prayer.”

Scholarly Consensus​

According to Imām Abū al-ʿĀliyah, Imām ʿAṭāʾ, and Imām Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn, Ṣadaqat al-Fiṭr is obligatory (farḍ/wājib).

Amount of Ṣadaqat al-Fiṭr​

Every type of food is measured as one ṣāʿ per person, as established in the following ḥadīth:


عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الخُدْرِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ: «كُنَّا نُعْطِيهَا فِي زَمَانِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَاعًا مِنْ طَعَامٍ، أَوْ صَاعًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ، أَوْ صَاعًا مِنْ شَعِيرٍ، أَوْ صَاعًا مِنْ زَبِيبٍ»...
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Bāb Ṣāʿ min Zabīb, Vol. 1, p. 204)


Translation:
Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه said:
“At the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, we used to give one ṣāʿ of food, or one ṣāʿ of dates, or one ṣāʿ of barley, or one ṣāʿ of raisins as Zakat al-Fiṭr.”


Later, when wheat became common in Madīnah, Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه remarked:
“I think one mudd of wheat equals two mudd of other items.”
The people followed this opinion, but Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه said:


“As for me, I will always give one full ṣāʿ as long as I live.”
(Agreed upon)

Opinion of Scholars​

Imām al-Tirmidhī رحمه الله stated:


“Some scholars hold that one full ṣāʿ is obligatory for all kinds of food. This is also the opinion of Imām al-Shāfiʿī and Imām Isḥāq ibn Rāhwayh.”
(Fiqh al-Sunnah, Vol. 1, p. 249; Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī, Vol. 2, p. 27)


This opinion is closest to the authentic narrations and most correct.

Half Ṣāʿ of Wheat – Historical Context​

The practice of giving half a ṣāʿ of wheat originated because wheat in Madīnah was imported and thus costly.
Therefore, Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه, considering the expense, equated half a ṣāʿ of wheat to one full ṣāʿ of other grains.


However, in regions where wheat is abundant and inexpensive, giving only half a ṣāʿ is not appropriate.
If one insists on following Muʿāwiyah’s reasoning, then the same logic would apply to imported items like dates or raisins, not to local staples like wheat.


The safest approach is to follow the explicit Sunnah — giving one full ṣāʿ as prescribed by the Prophet ﷺ.

Measurement of Ṣāʿ (Prophetic Measure)​

◈ Ṣāʿ Nabawī (Ṣāʿ Ibn Abī Dhīb): 5 1/3 ratl
◈ Equivalent to: 2 seers, 10 chhatāṅks, and 4 māshas
◈ Metric equivalent: 2.5 kilograms (approx.)


Hence, each person must give 2.5 kg of the local staple food as Ṣadaqat al-Fiṭr.

Payment in Cash​

If one wishes to pay in money instead of food, it is permissible provided the amount equals the value of the staple food customarily eaten.


Example Calculations:

• If wheat flour costs Rs. 5 per kg, then 2.5 kg × 5 = Rs. 12.50 per person.
• If rice is also a common food and costs Rs. 19 per kg, then giving around Rs. 30 per person is preferable.
• If one pays the value of wheat alone, it is still valid, as the ḥadīth does not specify inclusion of multiple food types.

Time of Payment​

• The best time to pay Ṣadaqat al-Fiṭr is before the Eid prayer on the day of Eid.
• It may also be paid a day or two earlier, especially to ensure the needy can use it for Eid preparations.

In Summary:

1. Ṣadaqat al-Fiṭr is obligatory (wājib) on every Muslim.
2. The amount is one ṣāʿ (≈ 2.5 kg) of the staple food per person.
3. It must be paid before the Eid prayer.
4. Cash payment is permissible based on the market value of the food.
5. The safest and most correct opinion is to give one full ṣāʿ, not half.

هٰذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
This is what I hold to be correct, and Allah knows best what is right.