Giving Zakat al-Fitr to Charitable Associations Before the Festival
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Honorable Shaykh! The month of Ramadan is approaching, and questions are frequent about giving Zakat al-Fitr, in the form of rice, wheat, or dates, to charitable associations, which distribute it to those entitled to receive it. What is your opinion?
Answer:
This is not possible. Zakat al-Fitr is not paid except in the festival. When the crescent of Shawwal is sighted, the time for Zakat al-Fitr begins, from the sighting of the crescent until the people go out for the festival prayer. This is the time of joy. They said it is permissible to give it one or two days before the festival, but from the beginning of the month or before the entry into the month of Ramadan, this is not permissible. And giving it to associations.
I do not know if I am aware that these associations adhere to the Sharia rulings regarding Zakat al-Fitr and the zakah of wealth, paying it to the needy at its proper time, or if they hold it with them and collect it with them, and with the price and the madness, and then the time for acts of worship passes and the time for this passes, which is not permissible for them.
The result is that the person who has zakah on his wealth or has Zakat al-Fitr should take charge of distributing it himself. Allah the Exalted and Majestic said, "And give the zakah." He commanded the people of wealth to give the zakah, that they pay it themselves to the needy, or they appoint someone they trust to deliver it to the needy. In associations with many members, there is confusion, there is indifference, and there is laxity in it. And they have, besides it, many other things, and these things enter with it and it is held back from its time and held back from the needy. And who is responsible for it? The association is responsible, and there are many people in it. Who is the one responsible before him? Who is the one obligated before him to deliver it at its time?
Honorable Shaykh! The month of Ramadan is approaching, and questions are frequent about giving Zakat al-Fitr, in the form of rice, wheat, or dates, to charitable associations, which distribute it to those entitled to receive it. What is your opinion?
Answer:
This is not possible. Zakat al-Fitr is not paid except in the festival. When the crescent of Shawwal is sighted, the time for Zakat al-Fitr begins, from the sighting of the crescent until the people go out for the festival prayer. This is the time of joy. They said it is permissible to give it one or two days before the festival, but from the beginning of the month or before the entry into the month of Ramadan, this is not permissible. And giving it to associations.
I do not know if I am aware that these associations adhere to the Sharia rulings regarding Zakat al-Fitr and the zakah of wealth, paying it to the needy at its proper time, or if they hold it with them and collect it with them, and with the price and the madness, and then the time for acts of worship passes and the time for this passes, which is not permissible for them.
The result is that the person who has zakah on his wealth or has Zakat al-Fitr should take charge of distributing it himself. Allah the Exalted and Majestic said, "And give the zakah." He commanded the people of wealth to give the zakah, that they pay it themselves to the needy, or they appoint someone they trust to deliver it to the needy. In associations with many members, there is confusion, there is indifference, and there is laxity in it. And they have, besides it, many other things, and these things enter with it and it is held back from its time and held back from the needy. And who is responsible for it? The association is responsible, and there are many people in it. Who is the one responsible before him? Who is the one obligated before him to deliver it at its time?
Source
شرح بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام [ صالح الفوزان ]، كتاب الطلاق — islamhouse.com (1:11:18)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.