The ruling on paying zakah in money
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Question : The questioner says: If the easiest and best option for the poor person is money for zakat al-fitr, is it permissible for me to base this principle on what I may have said regarding zakah?
Answer : Some scholars have held this view, stating that if the benefit to the poor person lies in giving dirhams for zakat al-fitr, then it is permissible. However, we do not see it that way; we hold that it is obligatory to pay zakat al-fitr in food, whether that is better for the poor person or not. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribed it in food of different values. If value had been the criterion, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would have prescribed it in one type or its equivalent in value from another type. Furthermore, there is a practical benefit for the poor person in this, because if he is given food, he will certainly benefit from it. Even if some poor people might sell it cheaply, that is the poor person’s own action, not the giver’s. The giver has done what he was commanded to do, and the poor person disposes of it as he wishes. However, I would like to clarify that some people adhere to the view of some jurists that zakat al-fitr must be from the five categories: dates, barley, raisins, wheat, and dried cheese. This view is not correct. The correct view is that zakat al-fitr is paid in the food of the country that humans eat, and food that is not food for humans does not suffice for the zakah prescribed by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He described zakat al-fitr as purification for the fasting person and food for the poor, specifying that it is food for the children of Adam. Accordingly, if any of the five mentioned categories ceases to be food for humans, zakat al-fitr is not paid from it. Based on what is indicated by the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas, paying zakat al-fitr in rice is a permissible matter, without any doubt or hesitation. In fact, rice is currently more beneficial and easier for many poor people.
Answer : Some scholars have held this view, stating that if the benefit to the poor person lies in giving dirhams for zakat al-fitr, then it is permissible. However, we do not see it that way; we hold that it is obligatory to pay zakat al-fitr in food, whether that is better for the poor person or not. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribed it in food of different values. If value had been the criterion, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would have prescribed it in one type or its equivalent in value from another type. Furthermore, there is a practical benefit for the poor person in this, because if he is given food, he will certainly benefit from it. Even if some poor people might sell it cheaply, that is the poor person’s own action, not the giver’s. The giver has done what he was commanded to do, and the poor person disposes of it as he wishes. However, I would like to clarify that some people adhere to the view of some jurists that zakat al-fitr must be from the five categories: dates, barley, raisins, wheat, and dried cheese. This view is not correct. The correct view is that zakat al-fitr is paid in the food of the country that humans eat, and food that is not food for humans does not suffice for the zakah prescribed by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He described zakat al-fitr as purification for the fasting person and food for the poor, specifying that it is food for the children of Adam. Accordingly, if any of the five mentioned categories ceases to be food for humans, zakat al-fitr is not paid from it. Based on what is indicated by the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas, paying zakat al-fitr in rice is a permissible matter, without any doubt or hesitation. In fact, rice is currently more beneficial and easier for many poor people.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، لقاء[10 من 145] حكم إخراج الزكاة نقود - الشيخ ابن عثيمين - مشروع كبار العلماء — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.