Whom
to give Zakaat al-fitr (Fitra), When, and How Much?
Zakaat
al-fitr should be given to the poor Muslims in the land or city where
it is given, because of the report narrated by Abu Dawood from Ibn
‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: “The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined zakaat
al-fitr, to be paid in Ramadaan to feed the poor…” It is permissible to
send it to the poor of another land whose people are in greater need.
It is not permissible to spend it on building a mosque or other
charitable projects.
Source: The Standing Committee for Research and Issuing Fatwas, KSA (as
in Islam Q&A)
Rate
of Zakaat al-fitr (Fitra), when to pay
It was narrated
that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) enjoined zakaat al-fitr upon the Muslims at a rate of one saa’ of
dates or one saa’ of barley, and he commanded that it should be given
before the people went out to pray – i.e., the Eid prayers. In
al-Saheehayn it is narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: “At the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) we used to give it at a rate of
one saa’ of food, or one saa’ of dates, or one saa’ of barley, or one
saa’ of cheese, or one saa’ of raisins…” A number of scholars
interpreted the word ta’aam (food) in this hadeeth as referring to
wheat, and others explained it as referring to the staple food of the
local people, no matter what it is, whether it is wheat, corn or
something else. This is the correct view, because the zakaah is a kind
of help given by the rich to the poor, and the Muslim should not offer
help with anything other than the staple food of his country. What must
be given is a saa’ of all kinds of food, which is four times the amount
scooped up with two hands, which is approximately three kilograms. If
the Muslim gives a saa’ of rice or some other staple food of his
country, that is fine.
It first becomes
due on the night of the twenty-eighth of Ramadaan, because the
companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
used to give it one or two days before Eid, and the month lasts
twenty-nine or thirty days.
The latest it
may be given is at the Eid prayer, but it is not permissible to delay
it until after the prayer, because of the report narrated by Ibn
‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever gives it before the
prayer, it is accepted zakaah, and whoever gives it after the prayer,
it is a kind of charity.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood).
It is not
permissible to pay the value in money, according to the majority of
scholars, and the evidence for this view is more sound. Rather it
should be given in the form of food, as was done by the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), his companions (may Allaah be
pleased with them) and the majority of the ummah. We ask Allaah to help
us and all the Muslims to understand His religion and adhere
steadfastly to it. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family
and companions.
Source (Islam Q&A): Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on
him). Majallat al-Buhooth al-Islamiyyah, issue no. 17, pp. 79-80.
"Never
doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
"To
laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the
affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and
endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the
best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy
child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition, to know even one
life has breathed easier because you have lived, THIS is to have succeeded." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You cannot hope to build a better
world without improving individuals. We all must work for our own
improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for
all humanity." - Marie Curie
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." - Mark Twain
"Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand." - Emily Kimbrough
"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such
a manner that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice." Old Indian Saying
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi |
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Should you be a scholar to aid
Islam.....?
- - - Humza Mullick
Well,
we have all been through that stage. One day we wake up and tell
ourselves that from today we will study Islam. We start reading the
Qur’an more frequently than before, pick up books to increase our
knowledge, attend religious circles and lessons of scholars secretly
hoping to be a scholar one day.
Then
we return to our norm. We say, “Oh I will start from tomorrow Insha
Allah. Shopping has not yet been done, the car needs service, and kids
need an outing. And not all of us are studious.” All of a sudden, our
religious goals take a back seat as worldly commitments manifest
themselves.
Does
this then mean that we cannot do anything for the cause of Islam? Of
course not! Do we only need to be a religious scholar to aid Islam? No!
Scholars
have a great status in Islam, but not everyone can become a scholar.
Allah has praised scholars at several places in the Qur’an.
Is
one who is obedient to Allah, prostrating himself or standing (in
prayer) during the hours of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping
for the Mercy of his Lord (like one who disbelieves) ? Say: “Are those
who know equal to those who know not?” It is only men of understanding
who will remember (i.e. get a lesson from Allah’s Signs and Verses).
(Qur’an, 39:9)
However,
the reality is that very few people actually reach the level of
scholars. What can the rest of us do? We can – as doctors,
firefighters, teachers, and in fact as any Halaal professional – aid
Islam. Islam is a way of life that covers all aspects of life – from
marital relations to rights of neighbors. As Muslims, we are
ambassadors of this beautiful religion. Our Prophet (peace be upon him)
was an example for everyone. We too should try to follow him and become
good examples.
So
where do we start? The starting point must be with learning the correct
Islamic belief, as this is the basis of our religion. There is no point
in trying to help the cause of Islam, while we ourselves are lacking in
the foundations of Islam. If we haven’t bothered to learn the basics of
Islam, which is compulsory for every Muslim to learn, then there’s no
point trying to do anything else. First things come first. Islam is
based on the Qur’an and Sunnah according to the understanding of the
first three generations of Muslims.
The
Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The best people are those living in
my generation, and then those who will follow them, and then those who
will follow the latter.”
Next
all our deeds must be done for the sake of Allah alone. Doing good
deeds to please others besides Allah renders them void and could open
the doors to polytheism. Our character must be noble and upright. We
should hate to lie or be deceptive. When people meet Muslims they
should walk away with nothing but good thoughts about them.
In
today’s media, there is a barrage of assaults against Muslims and
Islam. Everywhere we turn to, Islam is under attack – whether that be
about the construction of mosques or the issue of polygamy. Now, more
than ever, Muslims should be practicing and propagating the true
teachings of Islam.
Think
about it. We work to earn an honest day’s living. But are we really
doing that? How many times do we turn up to work late for no reason?
How many times have we used our work facilities for our own personal
use? Our actions speak louder than our words. All eyes are on us as
Muslims. Whenever a Muslim does something wrong, people will point the
finger at Islam. By adhering to the Islamic teachings, we can be great
role models and call people to Islam without speaking a word.
Lying,
cheating and deception cannot be part of a Muslim’s character. Honesty
must be our second nature. How easy it is to gossip and say some lies
here and there? “It doesn’t matter, no one will ever find out,” we
think. “It’s only a white lie.” How common have these traits become in
our societies? In a Hadith narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Truthfulness leads to piety and
piety leads to Paradise. A man should be truthful until he is written
down as truthful with Allah. Lying leads to deviance and deviance leads
to the Fire. A man will lie until he is written down as a liar with
Allah.”
When
it comes to informing others about Islam, we can do so by distributing
authentic material or conveying them the message. However, this should
be done based on knowledge. How can we speak about the religion without
any knowledge of what we are talking about? Allah says, “And do not say
that of which you have no knowledge.” (Qur’an, 17:36) That is why it is
imperative that we learn this religion from those who are well-versed
in the Qur’an and Sunnah upon the understanding of the first three
generations of Muslims.
There
are many ways to aid the cause of Islam (I have mentioned only a few),
but we must remember that whatever we do must be for the sake of
pleasing Allah alone.
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