Is it permissible to give zakat al-fitr in the form of sugar, ghee, or the like?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner: All right, my Shaykh, I have a question. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh: Go ahead!
The questioner: Is it permissible to give zakat al-fitr in sugar?
The Shaykh: Yes, it is permissible, if the poor person—using the right term—uses sugar.
The questioner: What do you mean by "uses sugar," my Shaykh?
The Shaykh: I mean he utilizes sugar.
The questioner: Hahaha, my Shaykh, no household can do without sugar, can it?
The Shaykh: Yes, that is the assumption.
The questioner: Yes, may Allah ease your burden!
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you.
The questioner: Many households are in need of sugar!
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: We are hesitant about it.
The Shaykh: The condition, my brother, may Allah bless you, for the food that is a substitute for wheat and barley—which the people of this country no longer eat as their staple—is: first, that it be something the household needs; second, that it be a staple food; and third, that it be storable.
The questioner: So, my Shaykh, now: those who bring us the zakat al-fitr, if we buy rice and sugar, is that acceptable?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: And what else, my Shaykh?
The Shaykh: Barley groats.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: And lentils, and flour.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: I mean, anything you know the people of your town here need.
The questioner: I mean, ghee and oil?
The Shaykh: Ghee, my brother, is secondary!
The questioner: Oh, the essential item?!
The Shaykh: Local ghee is a secondary item, meaning you know that some middle-class households may do without local ghee and use vegetable oil instead.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: We do not want to burden the poor with it, at the expense of the rich. We do not want to give it as a favor, as they say in Syria.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: But rather, the essential item.
The questioner: So, my Shaykh, do barley groats, lentils, and beans also work?
The Shaykh: The essential ones, yes, and those that are considered staple food.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And may He reward you.
The questioner: And may Allah make you beneficial.
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you, my brother.
The questioner: I called Abu Abdullah!
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: I did not reach him, my Shaykh, regarding the da'wah.
The Shaykh: Why did you not reach him?
The questioner: They told me he is in Irbid!
The Shaykh: Yes, keep trying, my brother, keep trying. We prayed together tonight.
The questioner: And I will send him news. I called twice, and I will follow up, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh: Keep trying, keep trying.
The questioner: May Allah bless you. By Allah, my Shaykh, our love for you does not fear you!
The Shaykh: May Allah reward you with good and make...
The questioner: We see you, and I mean we benefit from you.
The Shaykh: May Allah preserve you. May our love be for the sake of Allah, if Allah wills!
The questioner: O Lord, amen.
The Shaykh : Welcome.
The questioner: May Allah reward you with good, our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And may Allah protect you, if Allah wills.
The questioner : Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The Shaykh: Go ahead!
The questioner: Is it permissible to give zakat al-fitr in sugar?
The Shaykh: Yes, it is permissible, if the poor person—using the right term—uses sugar.
The questioner: What do you mean by "uses sugar," my Shaykh?
The Shaykh: I mean he utilizes sugar.
The questioner: Hahaha, my Shaykh, no household can do without sugar, can it?
The Shaykh: Yes, that is the assumption.
The questioner: Yes, may Allah ease your burden!
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you.
The questioner: Many households are in need of sugar!
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: We are hesitant about it.
The Shaykh: The condition, my brother, may Allah bless you, for the food that is a substitute for wheat and barley—which the people of this country no longer eat as their staple—is: first, that it be something the household needs; second, that it be a staple food; and third, that it be storable.
The questioner: So, my Shaykh, now: those who bring us the zakat al-fitr, if we buy rice and sugar, is that acceptable?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: And what else, my Shaykh?
The Shaykh: Barley groats.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: And lentils, and flour.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh: I mean, anything you know the people of your town here need.
The questioner: I mean, ghee and oil?
The Shaykh: Ghee, my brother, is secondary!
The questioner: Oh, the essential item?!
The Shaykh: Local ghee is a secondary item, meaning you know that some middle-class households may do without local ghee and use vegetable oil instead.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: We do not want to burden the poor with it, at the expense of the rich. We do not want to give it as a favor, as they say in Syria.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: But rather, the essential item.
The questioner: So, my Shaykh, do barley groats, lentils, and beans also work?
The Shaykh: The essential ones, yes, and those that are considered staple food.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And may He reward you.
The questioner: And may Allah make you beneficial.
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you, my brother.
The questioner: I called Abu Abdullah!
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: I did not reach him, my Shaykh, regarding the da'wah.
The Shaykh: Why did you not reach him?
The questioner: They told me he is in Irbid!
The Shaykh: Yes, keep trying, my brother, keep trying. We prayed together tonight.
The questioner: And I will send him news. I called twice, and I will follow up, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh: Keep trying, keep trying.
The questioner: May Allah bless you. By Allah, my Shaykh, our love for you does not fear you!
The Shaykh: May Allah reward you with good and make...
The questioner: We see you, and I mean we benefit from you.
The Shaykh: May Allah preserve you. May our love be for the sake of Allah, if Allah wills!
The questioner: O Lord, amen.
The Shaykh : Welcome.
The questioner: May Allah reward you with good, our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And may Allah protect you, if Allah wills.
The questioner : Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.