Author: Shaykh Hafiz Abdul Sattar Hamad (Hafizahullah)
Arabic Text:
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَمَرَ بِزَكَاةِ الْفِطْرِ قَبْلَ خُرُوجِ النَّاسِ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ
“Rasulullah ﷺ instructed that Zakat-ul-Fitr should be given before the people go out for the Eid prayer.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Zakah: 1509]
Zakat-ul-Fitr is obligatory for every Muslim, regardless of whether they have observed fasting or not. This obligation is explicitly mentioned in Hadith.
[Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Zakah: 1503]
② Prescribed Amount:
The amount of Zakat-ul-Fitr is one Sa' (صاع).
[Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Zakah: 1505]
Zakat-ul-Fitr should be paid before the Eid prayer on the day of Eid.
It is permissible to pay Zakat-ul-Fitr one or two days before Eid, as evident from the practice of Abdullah ibn Umar (RA), who would hand over Zakat-ul-Fitr to official collectors a day or two prior to Eid.
[Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Zakah: 1511]
⑤ Importance of Timely Payment:
Delaying Zakat-ul-Fitr until after the Eid prayer nullifies its classification as Zakat-ul-Fitr. Instead, it is treated as a general charity, as clarified by Rasulullah ﷺ.
⑥ Food Items for Zakat-ul-Fitr:
During the time of the Prophet ﷺ, Zakat-ul-Fitr was given in the form of staple food items, such as barley, dates, raisins, and cheese.
Zakat-ul-Fitr can be given in any staple food that is commonly consumed throughout the year.
And Allah knows best.
Arabic Text:
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَمَرَ بِزَكَاةِ الْفِطْرِ قَبْلَ خُرُوجِ النَّاسِ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ
“Rasulullah ﷺ instructed that Zakat-ul-Fitr should be given before the people go out for the Eid prayer.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Zakah: 1509]
Key Points:
① Obligation of Zakat-ul-Fitr:Zakat-ul-Fitr is obligatory for every Muslim, regardless of whether they have observed fasting or not. This obligation is explicitly mentioned in Hadith.
[Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Zakah: 1503]
② Prescribed Amount:
The amount of Zakat-ul-Fitr is one Sa' (صاع).
[Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Zakah: 1505]
- Measurement in Modern Terms:
In contemporary decimal systems, one Sa' is equivalent to approximately 2.04 kilograms.
Zakat-ul-Fitr should be paid before the Eid prayer on the day of Eid.
- Prophetic Instruction:
Rasulullah ﷺ stated:
“Whoever gives Zakat-ul-Fitr before the Eid prayer, it will be accepted as Zakat, but if someone pays it after the Eid prayer, it will be considered a general charity, not Zakat-ul-Fitr.”
[Sunan Abu Dawood, Kitab al-Zakah: 1609]
It is permissible to pay Zakat-ul-Fitr one or two days before Eid, as evident from the practice of Abdullah ibn Umar (RA), who would hand over Zakat-ul-Fitr to official collectors a day or two prior to Eid.
[Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Zakah: 1511]
⑤ Importance of Timely Payment:
Delaying Zakat-ul-Fitr until after the Eid prayer nullifies its classification as Zakat-ul-Fitr. Instead, it is treated as a general charity, as clarified by Rasulullah ﷺ.
⑥ Food Items for Zakat-ul-Fitr:
During the time of the Prophet ﷺ, Zakat-ul-Fitr was given in the form of staple food items, such as barley, dates, raisins, and cheese.
- Narration of Abu Saeed Al-Khudri (RA):
He stated:
“We used to give one Sa' of food as Zakat-ul-Fitr during the time of Rasulullah ﷺ, and our staple foods then were barley, dates, raisins, and cheese.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Zakah: 1510]
Zakat-ul-Fitr can be given in any staple food that is commonly consumed throughout the year.
And Allah knows best.