Zakat al-Fitr on the Debtor

Question : The questioner says: A man is in debt. Is zakat obligatory on him? What is its amount and its time? It is zakat al-fitr.

Answer : Zakat al-fitr is obligatory even on the debtor. Its amount is a sa' (a dry measure of about 3 kg), and the type of the obligatory item is food. So it is obligatory to give a sa' of food, whether this food is wheat, rice, dates, barley, or something else that the people of the country in which this zakat is paid eat. This is zakat al-fitr, so its amount is a sa' and its type is food, based on the statement of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him): "We used to give it in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as a sa' of food." It is obligatory on every person who finds the food for the day and night of the festival. So whoever finds the food for the day and night of the festival, zakat al-fitr becomes obligatory on him.