He always says in it: We hear the talk every last Ramadan from past Ramadans about zakat al-fitr, knowing that there is no pressing need for it because it has become

The questioner : He always says in it: We hear the talk every last Ramadan from past Ramadans about zakat al-fitr, knowing that there is no pressing need for it because it has become trivial due to its smallness and the abundance of blessings among people. So should we continue with these customs? We ask for a convincing answer from the one who handles the responses to these questions and inquiries through your useful program?

The Shaykh : The truth is that this question is valid and ugly. As for its validity, it is that he says: This zakat has now become a negligible amount that is not paid attention to, given the abundant and numerous blessings that Allah has bestowed upon His servants.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : As for its ugliness, it is that he said: "Should we continue with these customs?" thereby making zakat al-fitr, which is one of the obligations of Islam, into a customary matter. As Ibn 'Umar said: He made it one of the customary matters and erred greatly in his expression. I do not think, if Allah wills, that he believes what he says, unless it is out of ignorance on his part, for the ignorant has no limit. But I say: This zakat and this charity is an obligation prescribed by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and He did not limit it to need and poverty, but He made it obligatory upon everyone who is able to pay it, to be given to the poor. If it is estimated that there is no poor person in the town, then it is possible to transfer it to another town where there are poor people. If that is not possible, then we have two options: either we say that it is dropped in that case, because when its place is lost, it is dropped, just as the washing of the arm is dropped if it is cut off from the upper arm; or we say that it is given to the poorest person, the one with the least wealth, and in that case, poverty is relative and not as defined by the jurists (may Allah have mercy on them), who said that the poor person is the one who does not find his own sufficiency and the sufficiency of his family for a year. The conclusion is that this charity which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) made obligatory must be implemented by the Muslim, either in his town if there are poor and needy people there, or in another town where there are poor and needy people.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : This message was received from Rashid Muhammad al-Rashid from al-Sulayl.