Is it permissible to pay zakat al-fitr in cash or not, and what is its amount in grains?

The questioner : Is it permissible to pay zakat al-fitr in cash or not, and what is its amount in grains? May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : It is not permissible to pay zakat al-fitr in cash, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribed it from dates and barley, as Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: And Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said: "We used to pay it in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as a sa' of food, and our food at that time was dates, barley, raisins, and dried curds". These are four types. So, I mean, zakat al-fitr is not permissible except from food. It is not permissible to pay it from its value, nor from clothing, nor from mattresses, nor to build houses for the poor with it. Rather, it must be paid from the food that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) prescribed. If the value were considered, the types would not be different, since a sa' of barley may not equal a sa' of dates, or may not equal a sa' of wheat, or the like.
And on this basis, it is obligatory to pay zakat al-fitr from food. The food of every people may differ from that of other people. So, take the value you want to pay, buy food with it, and pay it out. You will be safe and your obligation will be discharged by that.
And we do not deny that some scholars said it is permissible to pay it from its value. Some have said so. But when there is a dispute, the reference is to what is in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). And if we know that the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is to pay zakat al-fitr from food, then let us hold fast to this Sunnah. Yes.

The questioner : May Allah bless you.