The ruling on a father paying zakat al-fitr on behalf of his son and his family

Question : A questioner says: Is it permissible for my father to pay zakat al-fitr on my behalf, on behalf of my wife, and on behalf of my children? I am living in a separate residence and am able to pay it myself. What is the ruling on my father paying it on my behalf?

Answer : Zakat al-fitr is obligatory upon the individual himself. This is based on the statement of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made zakat al-fitr obligatory upon the free person, the slave, the male, the female, the young, and the old among the Muslims. Every person is required to pay the fitrah himself. However, if the one in authority pays it on behalf of himself and those under his guardianship, there is no harm. Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pay it on behalf of himself and those he supported. If a person pays it on behalf of himself, his household, and his children, even if they are in another location and they agree to it, there is no blame. In fact, this may be an act of dutifulness to his parents, because if a son says to his father, "Father, I want to pay zakat al-fitr for myself," some fathers might get upset and say, "I am not a minor. I have been paying your zakah since you were a baby in the cradle. How can you come and say, 'I will pay my own zakah'?" Some fathers do not understand this. So, if the son sees that allowing his father to pay the zakah is a means of pleasing his father, there is no harm. Otherwise, the default is that zakah is obligatory upon every person himself.