Is it permissible to pay zakat al-fitr in money?

Question : This questioner says: My question is about zakat al-fitr. Some people hold that money is more beneficial for the poor than food. Is it permissible to pay the value in such a case?

Answer : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them in excellence until the Day of Judgment. It is not permissible for a person to pay zakat al-fitr except in food. This is based on the statement of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri: "We used to pay it, meaning the charity of fitr, in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), a sa' of food," and on the statement of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) . So whoever pays something other than food, then...
...that does not resemble it, and his obligation is not discharged by it, because it is contrary to what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) made obligatory. It is reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Matters that are specified by the Shari'ah are not permissible for a person to exceed simply because he prefers something else, or because of a cause he has deduced. Even if he pays the value of the sa' ten times over, it does not suffice for him. The evidence for this is the hadith we referred to: . Yes. May Allah reward you with good.