Source: Fatāwā Āmanpūrī – Shaykh Ghulām Muṣṭafā Ẓahīr Āmanpūrī
Is Ṣadaqat al-Fiṭr obligatory only on those who are owners of niṣāb (minimum zakātable wealth)?
Ṣadaqat al-Fiṭr is obligatory on every living Muslim, regardless of whether he is rich or poor, male or female, free or slave, young or old.
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما:
فَرَضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ زَكَاةَ الْفِطْرِ صَاعًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ أَوْ صَاعًا مِنْ شَعِيرٍ عَلَى الْعَبْدِ وَالْحُرِّ وَالذَّكَرِ وَالْأُنْثَى وَالصَّغِيرِ وَالْكَبِيرِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1503; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 984)
Translation:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ made Zakāt al-Fiṭr obligatory as one ṣāʿ of dates or one ṣāʿ of barley, upon every Muslim — slave or free, male or female, young or old.”
ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب
❖ Question
Is Ṣadaqat al-Fiṭr obligatory only on those who are owners of niṣāb (minimum zakātable wealth)?
✿ Answer
Ṣadaqat al-Fiṭr is obligatory on every living Muslim, regardless of whether he is rich or poor, male or female, free or slave, young or old.
- If a person is a slave, then his master must pay the fiṭrah on his behalf.
Evidence from Ḥadīth
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما:
فَرَضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ زَكَاةَ الْفِطْرِ صَاعًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ أَوْ صَاعًا مِنْ شَعِيرٍ عَلَى الْعَبْدِ وَالْحُرِّ وَالذَّكَرِ وَالْأُنْثَى وَالصَّغِيرِ وَالْكَبِيرِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1503; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 984)
Translation:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ made Zakāt al-Fiṭr obligatory as one ṣāʿ of dates or one ṣāʿ of barley, upon every Muslim — slave or free, male or female, young or old.”
Conclusion
- Ṣadaqat al-Fiṭr is not restricted to the wealthy or those who possess niṣāb.
- It is a general obligation on all Muslims.
- The claim that fiṭrah is only for the owners of niṣāb is without any evidence.
ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب
