Those Entitled to Zakat al-Fitr
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The Tenth Question of Fatwa Number ( 20308 )
Q10: The zakat of the fasting person is the zakat of the soul. Sometimes we give it to the jurists who follow this school of thought, and sometimes we give it to the poor.
A10 : Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has made obligatory upon His wealthy servants, who are those who possess the nisab or more of the zakat threshold, a single zakat that is taken from their wealth and returned to their poor, and to the remaining eight categories, which
Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, mentioned in Surat al-Tawbah in His saying, Mighty and Majestic:[At-Tawbah 9:60] . If a Muslim pays his zakat to one of these categories or to the one in authority, his conscience is cleared. And if he pays some of it to the one in authority and some of it to some of the mentioned categories, that is also acceptable, provided the one in authority does not demand it all. As for compelling the owners of zakat to pay two zakats, one to the one in authority and the second to a person among the people, such as a jurist or someone else, this is an abomination with no basis, and it is an injustice that must be abandoned. It has reached me that some people make a mandatory obligation in their wealth for the Shaykh of the Sufi order, amounting to a fifth, and say: This is the fifth of the war spoils that is obligatory upon the people. They treat the wealth of the Shi'ah as if it were war spoils. This is also false and has no basis in the pure Shari'ah. The fifth that Allah mentioned in His saying, Glorified is He: [Al-Anfal 8:41] the verse, is the fifth of the wealth that is taken as spoils from the disbelievers when the Muslims defeat them and Allah makes them manifest over them. The one in authority, who is the Commander of the Faithful or the king of the land who
took charge of fighting the disbelievers or his deputy, distributes it in the channels that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, mentioned in the noble verse, and in public interests as well, such as the fay' (war booty not requiring fighting). From it, the judges, teachers, and Muslim soldiers are given what they need and what helps them to devote themselves to their duties, as the scholars of knowledge have explained in the channels of fay' and the fifth of war spoils. By this, it is known that it is obligatory upon every group that professes Islam to submit to the ruling of Islam in all matters, including zakat, fay', the fifth of war spoils, and others. They have no right to deviate from the Muslims with rulings they innovate that have no basis in the Islamic Shari'ah; for in that lies a contradiction of the Shari'ah rulings and opposition to Allah and His Messenger and to the Muslims, and it creates a rift among the Muslims that causes discord and disagreement which harms the Muslims and aids their enemy against them. As for zakat al-fitr, it is obligatory to distribute it to the poor and the needy; for the saying of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both):Sunan Ibn Majah 1827Hasan (Darussalam) , and he ordered that it be paid before the people go out for the festival prayer. There is no blame in paying it one or two days before the day of the festival; for it is established from the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that they used to pay it to
the poor one or two days before the festival. And Allah is the One sought for help and guidance to the straight path. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Q10: The zakat of the fasting person is the zakat of the soul. Sometimes we give it to the jurists who follow this school of thought, and sometimes we give it to the poor.
A10 : Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has made obligatory upon His wealthy servants, who are those who possess the nisab or more of the zakat threshold, a single zakat that is taken from their wealth and returned to their poor, and to the remaining eight categories, which
Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, mentioned in Surat al-Tawbah in His saying, Mighty and Majestic:
Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.
إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ فَرِيضَةً مِنَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌAnd know that anything you obtain of war booty - then indeed, for Allah is one fifth of it and for the Messenger and for [his] near relatives and the orphans, the needy, and the [stranded] traveler
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَأَنَّ لِلَّهِ خُمُسَهُ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِtook charge of fighting the disbelievers or his deputy, distributes it in the channels that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, mentioned in the noble verse, and in public interests as well, such as the fay' (war booty not requiring fighting). From it, the judges, teachers, and Muslim soldiers are given what they need and what helps them to devote themselves to their duties, as the scholars of knowledge have explained in the channels of fay' and the fifth of war spoils. By this, it is known that it is obligatory upon every group that professes Islam to submit to the ruling of Islam in all matters, including zakat, fay', the fifth of war spoils, and others. They have no right to deviate from the Muslims with rulings they innovate that have no basis in the Islamic Shari'ah; for in that lies a contradiction of the Shari'ah rulings and opposition to Allah and His Messenger and to the Muslims, and it creates a rift among the Muslims that causes discord and disagreement which harms the Muslims and aids their enemy against them. As for zakat al-fitr, it is obligatory to distribute it to the poor and the needy; for the saying of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both):
It was narrated that: Ibn Abbas said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) enjoined Zakatul-Fitr as a purification for the fasting person from idle talk and obscenities, and to feed the poor. Whoever pays it before the (Eid) prayer, it is an accepted Zakah, and whoever pays it after the prayer, it is (ordinary) charity.”
فرض رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم زكاة الفطر طهرة للصائم وطعمة للمساكينthe poor one or two days before the festival. And Allah is the One sought for help and guidance to the straight path. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.