This excerpt is taken from the book of Sheikh Mubashir Ahmed Rabbani, may Allah have mercy on him, Rules and Issues of Ramadan.
Sadaqat al-Fitr :.
During the fasts of Ramadan, sometimes we may fall short or make mistakes, for which the obligation of Zakat al-Fitr has been established, and its payment also helps the poor, needy, and destitute.
Sayyidina Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that:
فرض رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم زكوة الفطر طهرة للصائم من اللغو والرفث و طعمة للمساكين من أداها قبل الصلاة فهي زكاة مقبولة ومن أداها بعد الصلوة فهي صدقة من الصدقات
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) made Zakat al-Fitr obligatory to purify the fasting person from idle and obscene talk and to provide food for the poor. Whoever pays it before the Eid prayer, his charity is accepted, and whoever pays it after the prayer, it is just one of the regular charities."
Reference: Abu Dawood, Book of Zakat, Chapter on Zakat al-Fitr (1609)
Sayyidina Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
فرض رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم زكوٰة الفطر صاعا من تمر او صاعا من شعير على العبد والحر والذكر والأنثى والصغير والكبير من المسلمين وأمر بها أن تؤدى قبل خروج الناس إلى الصلاة
"The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) made Zakat al-Fitr obligatory as one sa' of dates or one sa' of barley for free men and women, young and old, and he commanded that it be paid before the people go out for the Eid prayer."
Reference: Mishkat (1815), Bukhari, Book of Zakat, Chapter on the Obligation of Zakat al-Fitr (1503)
Sayyidina Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
كنا نخرج زكوة الفطر صاعا من طعام أوصاعا من شعير أو صاعا من تمر أوصاعا من أقط أو صاعا من زبيب
"During the time of the Prophet, we used to give Zakat al-Fitr as one sa' of grain or one sa' of barley or one sa' of dates or one sa' of cheese or one sa' of raisins."
Reference: Mishkat (1816), Bukhari, Book of Zakat (1507), Muslim, Book of Zakat (985)
From the above-mentioned hadiths, it is clear that Zakat al-Fitr is obligatory on every Muslim, whether they are young or old, male or female, free or enslaved, and it should be taken out from what is in use. Its amount is one sa', which weighs approximately two and a half kilograms (or just over two kilograms), and it should be paid before the Eid prayer. It can also be paid a few days before the Eid prayer.
In Sahih Bukhari
Reference: (1511)
, it is mentioned: وكانوا يعطون قبل الفطر بيوم أو يومين
"The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to give Zakat al-Fitr one or two days before the Eid al-Fitr prayer."
Similarly, when Sayyidina Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) was appointed to guard the Zakat al-Fitr, Satan came to steal from the pile for three consecutive nights. Eventually, he escaped by mentioning Ayat al-Kursi. See
Reference: Mishkat: 2123, Bukhari: 2311
This hadith also indicates that Zakat al-Fitr can be collected a few days before Eid.
