His second question asks about the amount of zakat al-fitr, the most appropriate time to distribute it to the poor, and whether the head of the household is required to pay the share for an adult or married son who lives with him, works, and supports his own family, or whether the head of the household is only obligated to pay the share for the women and minor children he supports.
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The questioner : His second question, and although its time has passed, the message reached us late. He asks about the amount of zakat al-fitr, the most appropriate time to distribute it to the poor, and whether the head of the household is required to pay the share for an adult or married son who lives with him in the house, works, and supports his own family, or whether the head of the household is only obligated to pay the share for the women and minor children he supports. May you have abundant thanks from me?
The Shaykh : We say that the amount of zakat al-fitr is a sa' of food, by the Prophetic sa'.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Which weighs two kilograms and forty grams, meaning approximately two and a quarter kilograms of rice or other food eaten by people.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is the amount of zakat al-fitr, and it is not permissible to pay it with anything other than food, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribed it as a sa' of dates or barley, and that was their food at the time.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As Abu Sa'id said, "Our food at that time was barley, dates, raisins, and dried cheese, and wheat was not common or abundant in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, no text came from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding it. When it became abundant in the time of Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), he made half a sa' of it equal to a sa' [of dates or barley]. But Abu Sa'id differed from him in that and said, 'As for me, I will not stop paying it as a sa' as I used to pay it in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).' And the correct view is with Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him).
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : That it is a sa' of whatever food it is. As for the appropriate time to pay it, it is the morning of the festival, before the prayer.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because that is the time of benefiting from it, according to the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), as is reported from him:.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But despite that, it is permissible to pay it one or two days before the festival, and it is not permissible to pay it before that, contrary to those among the scholars who said that it is permissible to pay it after the entry of the month of Ramadan. Because zakat is called zakat al-fitr from Ramadan, so it is attributed to the breaking of the fast, not to the fasting. And if it were not that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) made it easy for His servants, we would have said that it is not permissible to pay it except after the setting of the sun on the last day of Ramadan.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But there was leniency in the matter of the day and the two days, because that does not usually change the matter.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for paying it for the children he supports, this is not obligatory; rather, it is only on the basis of recommendation. Otherwise, every person is accountable for what Allah has made obligatory upon him.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : According to the saying of Ibn 'Umar:.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But if the head of the household pays the fitrah for all of them, and they see him doing so and agree to it, then there is no blame on him or on them in that.
The questioner : Yes, may Allah reward you.
O gentlemen, we have reached the end of this session, in which we presented the messages of the seekers of the truth from the Iraqi Republic, the city of Kirkuk, and Salah Sary Abu al-Khayr from the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the listener Shaker Mahmoud al-'Ubaydi from Iraq, al-'Azmah.
We presented these questions and inquiries to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-'Uthaymeen, professor at Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, and imam and preacher of the Great Mosque in the city of 'Unayzah.
Thank you to Shaykh Muhammad, and thank you, my brothers. Until we meet again in your presence, we entrust you to Allah. Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The Shaykh : We say that the amount of zakat al-fitr is a sa' of food, by the Prophetic sa'.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Which weighs two kilograms and forty grams, meaning approximately two and a quarter kilograms of rice or other food eaten by people.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This is the amount of zakat al-fitr, and it is not permissible to pay it with anything other than food, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribed it as a sa' of dates or barley, and that was their food at the time.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As Abu Sa'id said, "Our food at that time was barley, dates, raisins, and dried cheese, and wheat was not common or abundant in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, no text came from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding it. When it became abundant in the time of Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), he made half a sa' of it equal to a sa' [of dates or barley]. But Abu Sa'id differed from him in that and said, 'As for me, I will not stop paying it as a sa' as I used to pay it in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).' And the correct view is with Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him).
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : That it is a sa' of whatever food it is. As for the appropriate time to pay it, it is the morning of the festival, before the prayer.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because that is the time of benefiting from it, according to the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), as is reported from him:
Provide for them so they do not have to ask on this day
أغنوهم عن السؤال في هذا اليومThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But despite that, it is permissible to pay it one or two days before the festival, and it is not permissible to pay it before that, contrary to those among the scholars who said that it is permissible to pay it after the entry of the month of Ramadan. Because zakat is called zakat al-fitr from Ramadan, so it is attributed to the breaking of the fast, not to the fasting. And if it were not that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) made it easy for His servants, we would have said that it is not permissible to pay it except after the setting of the sun on the last day of Ramadan.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But there was leniency in the matter of the day and the two days, because that does not usually change the matter.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for paying it for the children he supports, this is not obligatory; rather, it is only on the basis of recommendation. Otherwise, every person is accountable for what Allah has made obligatory upon him.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : According to the saying of Ibn 'Umar:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) made zakat al-fitr obligatory upon the young and the old, the male and the female, the free and the slave, from among the Muslims
فرض رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم زكاة الفطر على الصغير والكبير والذكر والأنثى والحر والعبد من المسلمينThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But if the head of the household pays the fitrah for all of them, and they see him doing so and agree to it, then there is no blame on him or on them in that.
The questioner : Yes, may Allah reward you.
O gentlemen, we have reached the end of this session, in which we presented the messages of the seekers of the truth from the Iraqi Republic, the city of Kirkuk, and Salah Sary Abu al-Khayr from the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the listener Shaker Mahmoud al-'Ubaydi from Iraq, al-'Azmah.
We presented these questions and inquiries to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-'Uthaymeen, professor at Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, and imam and preacher of the Great Mosque in the city of 'Unayzah.
Thank you to Shaykh Muhammad, and thank you, my brothers. Until we meet again in your presence, we entrust you to Allah. Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.