What is Fitra/ Zakat Al Fitr
Fitra or Zakat Al Fitr is an obligatory charity that is distributed at the end of the Fast of Ramadan.
It is obligatory for every Muslim, to be paid on their own behalf and on behalf of their dependents (Wife, children, etc), if they have the means to do so.
“The Prophet ﷺ enjoined the Zakah of Ramadan on everyone, young and old, free and slave, male and female, a Sa’a of dates or a Sa’a of barley.”
A Sa’a is a means of calculation at the time of the Prophet ﷺ and one Sa’a is equivalent to 3.28 litres, or approximately 2.73 kgs of rice, 2.8kg of wheat, 2.7kg of dates, or 2.4kgs of barley.
Today you can pay cash the equivalent value of one Sa’a, which is around $12 AUD. If one who gives Fitrah is relatively wealthy, it would also be better for him or her to pay more than the amount of a sa’a…
Fitrah becomes obligatory on every Muslim from sunset on the last day of fasting until the beginning of the Eid prayer (shortly after sunrise the following day).
However, this zakat can be paid prior to the above mentioned period, as many of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ used to pay Fitrah a couple of days before Eid.
In today’s context, it would be better to pay it even earlier (as long as it is paid within Ramadan) to allow it to reach the needy in far places by Eid.
The Prophet ﷺ made Fitrah compulsory so that those who fasted may be purified of their idle deeds and shameful talk (committed during Ramadan) and so that the poor may be fed.
Whoever gives it before Eid prayer will have it accepted as Zakat, while he who gives it after the prayer has only given a general Sadaqah.”
May Allah accept our fast and purify us from all our sins during and after this Holy Month of Ramadan and May, we all be able to pay our Fitrah on time at the end of Ramadan!
For more, visit: www.maainternational.org.au
Check out more in the RamadanHub!