How to respond to those who say: Paying zakat al-fitr in money is more beneficial for the poor?
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Question:
May Allah reward you with good. Those who say that money is more beneficial for the poor, how should they be answered? May Allah preserve you, Shaykh Salim?
Answer:
Religion is not based on opinion, as the Commander of the Faithful, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said:Bulugh al-Maram 60 the top of the leather sock, so religion is not based on opinion, and it is not said that this is more beneficial.
As long as the text is established, it is obligatory to act in accordance with it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explicitly stated that food is to be paid in zakat al-fitr, and he specified its amount as a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg), and its type according to the staple foods of the land. This indicates that one is restricted to what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) specified. As for the value, it contradicts the text. Money existed during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), yet he did not order it to be paid in zakat al-fitr. And your Lord is not forgetful. The obligatory thing is to adhere to the text. When it was said to Imam Ahmad that 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz (may Allah be pleased with him) held the view of paying the value in the charity of fitr, Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: They leave the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and say so-and-so said this. This is a rebuke by Imam Ahmad of those who deviated from the text and resorted to independent legal reasoning (ijtihad); because there is no independent legal reasoning in the face of an explicit text. Yes.
May Allah reward you with good. Those who say that money is more beneficial for the poor, how should they be answered? May Allah preserve you, Shaykh Salim?
Answer:
Religion is not based on opinion, as the Commander of the Faithful, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
(rad): If the religion were based on opinion, it would be more important to wipe over the under parts of the leather socks than the upper, but I have seen Allah’s
رضي الله عنه يقول لو كان الدين بالرأي لكان أسفل الخف أولى بالمسح من أعلاه، قد رأيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يمسح علىAs long as the text is established, it is obligatory to act in accordance with it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explicitly stated that food is to be paid in zakat al-fitr, and he specified its amount as a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg), and its type according to the staple foods of the land. This indicates that one is restricted to what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) specified. As for the value, it contradicts the text. Money existed during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), yet he did not order it to be paid in zakat al-fitr. And your Lord is not forgetful. The obligatory thing is to adhere to the text. When it was said to Imam Ahmad that 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz (may Allah be pleased with him) held the view of paying the value in the charity of fitr, Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: They leave the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and say so-and-so said this. This is a rebuke by Imam Ahmad of those who deviated from the text and resorted to independent legal reasoning (ijtihad); because there is no independent legal reasoning in the face of an explicit text. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، كيف الرد على من يقول: إن إخراج زكاة الفطر نقودا أنفع للفقراء؟ الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.