It is known and understood that wealth belongs to Allah The Almighty and that He Appointed His slaves as His successors to see how will they act. He Will Ask them about it when they stand before Him. How did they collect it? And how did they spend it? Whoever earned it from lawful sources and was a good successor so that he spent it in the way of obeying Allah The Almighty and to attain His pleasure will be rewarded for acting properly. Whoever collected it from unlawful resources and was a bad successor by spending it on impermissible things will be punished and this will be the reason for his misery.

That is why the Muslim should observe what Allah The Almighty Loves with regards to his wealth if he wants to be successful in the Hereafter. He should accustom himself to hasten as much as he can to every field in which Islam urges spending and quit every field in which Islam prohibits spending. From among the greatest issues that Allah The Almighty Legislated for His slaves in the month of Ramadan is charity and spending by providing for and helping the needy and cooperating with Muslims. Many texts and reported citations clarify the virtue of charity for the sake of Allah The Almighty and out of seeking His Pleasure. Here are some to name but a few:

1- It is a great mercy that urges Muslims to do good, help the needy, be generous to the poor, sympathize with widows, wipe the tears of orphans, and be kind to them and make them happy. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Indeed, the men who practice charity and the women who practice charity and [they who] have loaned Allah a goodly loan – it will be multiplied for them, and they will have a noble reward.} [Quran 57:18]. Continue reading →

Charity, preached by every religion of the world, is a way of bringing justice to society. And justice is the essence of religion, Islam has therefore made charity, that is zakat, obligatory and binding upon all those who embrace the faith; it has been made into an institution in order to give in permanence and regularity.

All human beings, according to Islam, have been created by one and the same God, and for this reason they belong to one great brotherhood. Continue reading →

Question: Is it permissible to discharge Zakaatul-Fitr from meat? Some of the desert dwellers don’t have food to distribute for Zakaatul-Fitr, so is it permissible for them to slaughter some of their animals and distribute it to the poor?
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Answer: This is not correct, because the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) made it obligatory to give one saa’ of food, while meat is Continue reading →

Question: Is it permissible to discharge Zakaatul-Fitr in money? – with mention of the evidences
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Answer: Zakaatul-Fitr is not permissible except (to be paid) from FOOD. And it is not allowed to discharge its value in money. This is because the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) made it obligatory (to be discharged) from a saa’ of dates or a saa’ of barley. Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudree Continue reading →

Question: What is the ruling in the case of someone compelled to discharge Zakaatul-Fitr by money? And does it fulfill for him his obligation?

Answer: It appears to me that if someone is compelled to discharge the Zakaatul-Fitr by money, then he should give them the money, and not openly disobey those in authority. But, as far as that which is between him and Allaah, he should discharge what he has been commanded by the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) to discharge. So, he should discharge a saa’ of food as the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) commanded. Their compelling Continue reading →

Question: What is the ruling for denying Zakaatul-Fitr and how is the denier to be dealt with?

Response: It’s denial is not permissible (muharram)! Because it is egressing from that which the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) has legislated, as has just preceded from the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar (radhi-yallaahu ‘anhumaa) (who said): ((The Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) legislated Zakaatul-Fitr…), and it is known that leaving off that which is obligatory is not permissible (haraam), and in (doing so) is sin and disobedience. Continue reading →

Zakatul-Fitr is one Sa` (2 kilos, 40 gms) of food that a man offers at the end of Ramadan. Its reason is showing gratitude to Allah for His Favors by completing the month of Ramadan. When the sun of the last day sets, it becomes obligatory to pay it. Zakatul-Fitr is an obligatory duty which the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordained as `Abdullah ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “Allah ’s Messenger (peace be upon him) made it obligatory to pay sadaqat-ul-Fitr of Ramadan at a Sa` of dates or barley on every freeman or slave, male or female of the Muslims.” [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim].

Ibn `Abbas said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) prescribed the sadaqah (alms) relating to the breaking of the fast as a purification of the fasting from empty and obscene talk and as food for the poor.” [Reported by Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Al Hakim who graded it as authentic].

It is obligatory on every Muslim whether a male or female, young or old. It is desirable to pay it on behalf of embryo.

As for the time of paying it, it has two times: A virtuous time and permissible time. As for the virtuous time, it is the morning of the `Eid day before Salah due to the Hadith of Sa`id Al Khudry (may Allah be pleased with him) who narrated: “In the life-time of Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him), we used to give one Sa ‘ of food (edible things) as Sadaqat-ul-Fitr (to the poor).” [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim]

As for the time of permissibility, it is one or two days before `Eid due to the Hadith of Nafi` who reported that Ibn `Umar used to give Sadaqat-ul-Fitr for every young and old person. He even used to give on behalf of my children. Ibn ‘Umar used to give Sadaqat-ul-Fitr to those who had been officially appointed for its collection. People used to give Sadaqat-ul-Fitr (even) a day or two before the `Eid. It is not permissible to delay it after the `Eid Salah. So, if a person delays it after the `Eid Salah without an acceptable cause, it shall not be accepted because he has disagreed the action of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Question: Is it permissible to discharge the obligation of Zakaatul-Fitr on the first day of Ramadhaan? And is it permissible to distribute it in money?
*Please appropriately reference this fatwa to: www.fatwa-online.com, thankyou!*
Response: As for the discharging of it on the first day of Ramadhaan – there is Ikhtilaaf (difference of opinion among the scholars) about it. The most correct opinion is that it’s not permissible, because Continue reading →

Question: I dispatched the Zakaatul-Fitr, specifically pertaining to myself, to my family so that they can discharge it in my country. Is this action correct?

Response: (This is) not a problem, (and) you shall be rewarded inshaa.-Allaah. Discharging it in your area is better, so that you discharge it to the needy in the area in whch you reside, and this is better. However, if you dispatched it to your family to discharge it to the needy in your country then that is not a problem. Continue reading →

Question: What is the ruling regarding the one who had not discharged the Zakaatul-Fitr until during the (`Eed) khutbah (sermon) after the `Eed prayer, and that is because he had forgotten?

Response: Discharging the Zakaatul-Fitr before the (`Eed) prayer is obligatory, and whoever forgets then there is nothing upon him except to discharge it after that. This is because it is an obligation so it is upon him to discharge it when he remembers, and it is not permissible for Continue reading →