What is the ruling on withholding zakat al-fitr?

Question : What is the ruling on withholding it, and how is it treated?

Answer : That is, withholding it is not known to be forbidden, for it is a departure from what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) made obligatory, as mentioned earlier in the hadith of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), where the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) made the zakat of food obligatory. It is well known that abandoning what is required is forbidden, and it entails sin and disobedience.