Zakat al-fitr is a kind of charity (sadaqah) that is obligatory at the time of breaking the fast of Ramadan.

Ibn `Abbas said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) made zakat al-fitr obligatory as a means of purifying the fasting person from idle talk and foul language, and to feed the poor. Whoever pays it before the prayer, it is an accepted zakat, and whoever pays it after the prayer, it is just a kind of charity (sadaqah).”( Abu Dawud)

Ruling of zakat al-fitr

The correct view is that it is fard (obligatory), because Ibn `Umar said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) made zakat al-fitr obligatory,” and because of the consensus of the scholars that it is obligatory.

When it has to be given

It becomes obligatory when the sun sets on the last day of Ramadan. Anyone who gets married, has a baby born to him or becomes Muslim before the sun sets on that day, has to give zakat al-fitr [on behalf of himself and/or his new wife or new baby], but if that happens after sunset, he does not have to give it.

Whoever dies after sunset on the night of fitr, zakat al-fitr must be given on his behalf. This is what Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal stated in his book Al-Mughni.

Amount of zakat al-fitr

The amount to be given is one sa` of food, according to the measure of sa` used by the Prophet (peace be upon him), because of the following hadith.

Abu Sa`id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “At the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) we used to give it in the form of a sa` of food…”(Al-Bukhari)

The weight of the sa` [which is a measure of volume] varies according to the type of food concerned, so when giving zakat al-fitr by weight, one must make sure that what is given is equivalent to a sa` of that type of food. A sa` is approximately equivalent to three kilograms of rice.

Types of things that may be given

What should be given is food for human consumption, such as dates, wheat, rice or other kinds of food that humans eat. Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “At the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), we used to give a sa` of food on the day of Fitr.” Abu Sa`id said: “And our food was barley, raisins, aqit (dried yoghurt) and dates.” (Al-Bukhari)

It should be given in the form of the staple food that is used locally, whether it is wheat, rice, dates or lentils…

It is preferable for the person who is giving to share it out himself. (Ash-Shafi`i said): I prefer to share out zakat al-fitr myself rather than give it to the one who is collecting it.

However, it is permissible to appoint a trustworthy person to hand it over to those who are entitled to it, but if he is not trustworthy, then it is not allowed.

Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) stated that it is permissible to share out one sa` among a group of people, or to give many sa`s to one person.

Malik said: “there is nothing wrong with a man giving zakat al-fitr on behalf of himself and his family to one needy person.”

It is permissible for a poor person, if he receives zakat al-fitr from someone and he has more than he needs, to give it on his own behalf or on behalf of one of those who are dependent on him, if he is sure that the food is OK (i.e., it is the right type of food and the quantity is sufficient).

We ask Allah to accept the worship of all of us and to join us with the righteous.

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Source: Taken from a book entitled “Zakat Al-Fitr” by Sheikh Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid