Eid Al Fitr 2024: Zakat Al Fitr (Fitr Al Zakat) Should Be Given As Food, Not Cash: Saudi Grand Mufti

According to Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Fitr Al Zakat, also known as Zakat al-Fitr or Sadaqat al-Fitr, a form of charity given by Muslims at the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, should be given in the form of food, not cash. The Grand Mufti added that this direction regarding the Zakat al-Fitr is based on the Sunnah (traditions or practices of Prophet Muhammad)

Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh, head of the Council of Senior Scholars and the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta, said Zakat Al-Fitr is to be given from the foodstuff of humans, such as wheat, rice, raisins, and the like. “It is obligatory for a Muslim in the place where the sunset of the last day of Ramadan is witnessed, and it can be given a day or two before Eid,” the Grand Mufti added about one of the five pillars of Islam, others being declaration of faith, prayer, fasting and pilgrimage.

He advised that Zakat Al-Fitr, the pillar of Islam that holds significant religious and social importance, serving as a means of purifying one’s wealth and providing for the less fortunate, can be distributed from the 28th or 29th of Ramadan and must be delivered directly to the needy or through a designated representative, reported Saudi Gazette.

He also asserted that that this almsgiving custom is mandated for every Muslim, regardless of age, gender, or status, and is to be given as one sa’ (a traditional Islamic unit of volume) of food.

The obligation of Fitr Al Zakat is mentioned in various Hadiths (sayings of Prophet Muhammad) as a compulsory act for those who possess the means to give. It is intended to ensure that all Muslims, regardless of their financial situation, can partake in the joyous occasion of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.

The amount of Fitr Al Zakat is typically equivalent to a specific measure of staple food items, such as wheat, barley, dates, or raisins. This measure is often estimated based on the local cost of these commodities. In modern times, monetary values are often used instead, with individuals giving an amount equivalent to the cost of the prescribed food items.

Fitr Al Zakat is obligatory for every Muslim who possesses wealth above a certain threshold, known as Nisab, which is the minimum amount of wealth one must have before being liable to pay Zakat. Unlike Zakat al-Mal (obligatory almsgiving on wealth), which is calculated based on one’s accumulated wealth over a lunar year, Fitr Al Zakat is a fixed amount per person and is due before the Eid al-Fitr prayer.