. The ruling on abandoning the Eid prayer:
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Question: Is it permissible for a Muslim to miss the Eid prayer without a valid excuse? Is it permissible to prevent women from attending Eid prayer along with men?
Answer: According to most scholars, the Eid prayer is a communal obligation (Fard Kifayah). It is permissible for some individuals to miss it, but a person’s attendance and participation with his Muslim brothers is a confirmed Sunnah, and it is not appropriate to leave it without a valid Shariah excuse. Some scholars hold the view that Eid prayer is an individual obligation (Fard Ayn) like the Friday prayer. Therefore, it is not permissible for any accountable, free, resident man to miss it. This opinion is stronger in terms of evidence.
For women, it is Sunnah to participate in the Eid prayer with proper observance of hijab and avoiding perfume. This is established from Umm Atiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) in Sahihain. She said:
أمرنا أن نخرج فى العيدين العواتق والحيض، ليشهدن الخير ودعوة المسلمين، وتعتزل الحيض المصلي
“We were commanded to take virgin and menstruating women out of their homes to the Eid prayer ground so that they may partake in the goodness and the supplications of the Muslims. However, menstruating women should remain apart from the prayer area.”
And in some words of the hadith it is stated:
فقالت إحداهن يا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لاتجد إحداناجلباباتخرج فيه فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : لتلبسها أختها من جلبابها
“One of the women said: O Messenger of Allah! If one of us does not find a sheet to cover herself with when going out? The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Her sister should give her a part of her sheet to wear.”
Undoubtedly, this hadith is evidence that women’s going out for the Eid prayers is emphasized so that they may partake in the goodness and the supplications of the Muslims.
And the One who grants success is Allah Almighty.
“Shaykh Ibn Baz. May Allah have mercy on him.”
. The ruling on postponing the Eid prayer to the next day:
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Question: After the sighting of the Shawwal moon, is it permissible to postpone the Eid prayer to the next day with the purpose that all Muslim workers who work in factories and offices can get a holiday from their supervisors on Eid day? And since they do not know the Eid day in advance, informing the supervisors about the specific holiday day is the most difficult matter for them?
Answer: The Eid prayers (Salat al-Eidain) are a communal obligation (Fard Kifayah). When a sufficient number of people perform it, the sin is lifted from the rest. And since in Arab countries generally, and especially in Saudi Arabia, Islamic centers arrange the Eid prayer based on the moon sighting, therefore this prayer will fulfill the communal obligation for those who cannot attend the Eid prayer. It is not permissible to postpone it until the second or third day of Shawwal for the purpose that all Muslims, for example in London, participate. Because this delay is against the consensus of the Companions and the Tabi‘in after them. We do not know any scholar who supports this. However, postponing it to the next day is permissible when the knowledge of Eid comes after sunset. And the One who grants success is Allah Almighty.
وصلي الله على نبينامحمد و آله وصحبه وسلم .
’’اللجنۃ الدائمۃ‘‘
Zakat al-Fitr:
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. Meaning of Zakat al-Fitr:
The literal meaning of Zakat is to increase and grow. It is also applied to purification because it purifies the one who pays Zakat from sins and increases his reward and blessings. Therefore, it is called Zakat. Allah Almighty has said:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا
“Whoever purifies it has succeeded.”
Fitr: Fitr is a verbal noun derived from افطر الصائم إفطارا. It is derived from “Fitrah,” which means original creation.
In the terminology of Shariah, it refers to the charity of the body.
(That is why it is also called Sadaqat al-Fitr.) 135. Evidence for the obligation of Zakat al-Fitr:
Its proof is from the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and consensus of the scholars.
Evidence from the Book: Zakat al-Fitr is included in the general command of Allah Almighty:
وَاٰتُوا الزَّكٰوةَ meaning “Give Zakat,” and the detailed explanation given by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) includes Zakat al-Fitr.
And Allah Almighty also said:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ تَزَكَّى
“Indeed, the successful are those who purify themselves.”
It is established that this noble verse was revealed regarding Zakat al-Fitr.
Evidence from the Sunnah: In Sahihain, it is narrated from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) who said:
فرض رسول اللہ صلى الله عليه وسلم زكاة الفطر صاعا من تمر أو صاعا من شعير على العبد والحر والذكر والأنثي والصغير والكبير من المسلمين وأمر بها أن تؤدي قبل خروج الناس إلى الصلاة
“The Sadaqat al-Fitr of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was one Sa’ of dates or one Sa’ of barley, made obligatory on the slave, the free, the male, the female, the young, and the old Muslim, and he ordered its payment before the people went out for the Eid prayer.”
Proof of Consensus: Ibn Mundhir and others have narrated the consensus of scholars on its obligation.
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. Wisdom behind the Legitimacy of Sadaqat al-Fitr:
The wisdoms behind the payment of Sadaqat al-Fitr are as follows:
➊ To obey the command of Allah Almighty and His Messenger ﷺ.
➋ To express gratitude to Allah Almighty for the blessing of fasting and its completion.
➌ To purify the fasting person from vain and obscene speech.
➍ To do kindness to the poor and needy and to free them from begging on the day of Eid, so that they can also share in the joy and happiness of Eid along with the wealthy.
. From which types of food should Zakat al-Fitr be given:
Zakat al-Fitr should be given from the items mentioned in the following Hadith of Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him):
كنا نخرج زكاة الفطر صاعا من طعام أو صاعا من شعير أو صاعا من تمر أو صاعا من أقط أو صاعا من زبيب
“We used to give Zakat al-Fitr as one Sa’ of wheat, or one Sa’ of barley, or one Sa’ of dates, or one Sa’ of dried cheese, or one Sa’ of raisins.”
The ruling on giving Zakat al-Fitr from other items besides these:
Besides the items mentioned in the Hadith, it is permissible to give Zakat al-Fitr from other items related to human food, such as rice and maize, etc. This is the opinion of the scholars and researchers.
. Which type of item is preferable to give?
Dates, then raisins, then wheat, then barley, then the flour of these two, then the roasted flour of these two, then cheese.
And some scholars have mentioned that among the six items mentioned above, the preference is for that which takes into consideration the welfare of the poor and the common food of the city. This is the best and most preferable.
. The ruling on giving Zakat al-Fitr in cash (monetary value):
It is not permissible to give Zakat al-Fitr in cash (monetary value), because this is against the Shariah evidences, as it is neither proven from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) nor from any of his companions that they gave Zakat al-Fitr in monetary value. Whereas they were the greatest experts (and followers) of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
. Obligatory amount of Sadaqah al-Fitr:
(From the Prophetic Sa’) One Sa’ which is approximately one and a quarter to two kilograms at present. Sheikh “Tayyar” himself measured and mentioned that to our knowledge, this is the clearest measure. And this is the more cautious opinion. And Allah knows best.
. On whom is Sadaqah al-Fitr obligatory?
Sadaqah al-Fitr is obligatory on every Muslim who has more than the necessary food and essential expenses for himself and his dependents on the day and night of Eid. This Sadaqah is given by a person on behalf of himself and the Muslims under his care, such as his wife, his children, his servants for whom he is the guardian and spends on them.
. Child’s Ruling:
The matter of the child is not without two conditions:
➊ If the child is born before sunset (on the night of Eid), it is necessary to give Sadaqah on their behalf.
➋ And if born after sunset, it is not obligatory, but recommended. Similarly, if a disbeliever becomes Muslim before sunset, Sadaqah is obligatory on them, and if they embrace Islam after sunset, it is not obligatory.
. Fetus’s Ruling:
Sadaqah al-Fitr is not obligatory for the fetus in the womb, but it is recommended. Therefore, one Sa’ should be given on their behalf.
. Time of Obligation of Sadaqah:
On the last day of Ramadan, Sadaqah al-Fitr becomes obligatory from sunset.
. Time for giving Sadaqah:
There are two times for giving Sadaqah al-Fitr:
➊ Preferred time: On the day of Eid, from Fajr prayer until before going out for the Eid prayer.
➋ Permissible time: One or two days before Eid.
However, if a person gives Sadaqah after the Eid prayer, there are two possibilities:
➌ Giving it late without an excuse; in this case, due to going against the command of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, this Sadaqah will not be accepted. Rather, it will be considered one of the general Sadaqahs. This is established from the hadith of Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما.
➋ There is a valid excuse for delay, for example, Eid has arrived and the person is outside the town and has nothing to give as Sadaqah or there is no one to receive the Sadaqah. Or the person suddenly received news of Eid and did not get the opportunity to give Sadaqah before the prayer. Or the responsibility of giving Sadaqah was given to someone who forgot to give it. In such cases, there is no harm in giving it after Eid because the person was excused.
. Eligible recipients of Sadaqat al-Fitr:
Sadaqat al-Fitr should only be given to the poor and needy, etc., for whom it is permissible to take Zakat funds. These are eight categories of people mentioned by Allah Almighty in His following command:
إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ فَرِيضَةً مِنَ اللَّـهِ وَاللَّـهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
“Indeed, Sadaqah is for the poor and the needy and those employed to collect [the funds] and for bringing hearts together and for freeing captives and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the stranded traveler – an obligation [imposed] by Allah.”
. The ruling on transferring Sadaqat al-Fitr to another place:
It is not permissible to transfer Sadaqat al-Fitr from the place where it is obligatory to another place, unless there is no eligible recipient there. In such a case, it should be distributed in the nearest city. Because it is a charity of the body.
. Place for giving Sadaqat al-Fitr:
At the time of giving Sadaqat al-Fitr, a person should give it in the place where he is residing, because Sadaqat al-Fitr is related to the body. Therefore, when the time for giving Sadaqat al-Fitr arrives, give it in the place where you are.
You can understand this with the following examples:
For instance, if you are in “Sharqah” and Eid occurs there, then give Sadaqat al-Fitr in “Sharqah.”
And if your origin is, for example, “Sharqah,” but at the time of Eid you are in Makkah or elsewhere, then give Sadaqat al-Fitr in Makkah where you are present at the time of Eid.
However, if a person is in one city and those whom he supports are in another city, then it is necessary for that person to give the Sadaqat for himself and those under his care in the place where he is present at the time of giving the Sadaqat. This is similar to the Sadaqat that a person gives on behalf of another.
. Method of distributing Sadaqah al-Fitr:
It is permissible for one person to give the Sadaqah al-Fitr on behalf of the entire group. Similarly, it is permissible for one person to give their own Sadaqah on behalf of a group.
152. Agency in Sadaqah al-Fitr (having it distributed through someone else):
➊ Appointing a person as an agent to pay Sadaqah al-Fitr on one’s behalf.
It is permissible for a person to appoint someone in their city as an agent so that when they travel to another place, the agent pays their Sadaqah.
➋ A poor person appointing someone as an agent to receive Sadaqah al-Fitr.
It is permissible for a poor person to appoint someone as an agent to receive Sadaqah. In such a case, when the Sadaqah reaches the agent, it is considered as having reached the principal. However, the condition is that the agent should not be the one obligated to pay the Sadaqah themselves.
➌ It is not permissible for a person to pay Sadaqah on behalf of another without their permission, because it is a form of worship that requires intention and consent.
. The ruling of Sadaqah al-Fitr on behalf of the deceased:
The details of this issue are as follows:
➊ If a person dies before sunset, Sadaqah is not obligatory on them.
➋ And if they die after sunset, it is necessary to pay Sadaqah al-Fitr from their estate, and if any heir or another person pays it on their behalf, it is permissible.
We pray to Allah Almighty to accept the prayers, fasting, zakat, Hajj, and all righteous deeds of the Muslims. And to forgive us, our parents, and all Muslims.
وصلي الله على نبينا محمد وعلي آله وصحبه وسلم .
