Madinah Food Pantry and Family Services will again be collecting and distributing Zakat and Sadaqah Fitr this year. Sadaqah al Fitr should be given for distribution before going to the Eidgah or the Masjid for Salaatul 'Eid. Arrangements can be made to have your Zakat or Sadaqah al Fitr (Fitrana) collected from your home. Sadaqa al Fitr can be donated by way of dates, raisins, grain such as rice, wheat etc. It may also be donated in the form of cash. Current Sadaqah al Fitr (Zakatul Fitr) cash amount is approximately $8.00 per family member. Please contact us as soon as possible.
What is Sadaqah al Fitr?
Sadaqah al Fitr is what is donated to those eligible to receive it, in the form of dates raisins, barley, wheat etc.. or its' equivalent in cash before the "Eid al Fitr Salat on the first of day of the month of Shawwal. This is Wajib (compulsory) on anyone who one is in posession of personal items equal to the value (Nisaab) requiring one to pay Zakat. The current valuation for Nisaab asof July 9th 2015 is $3461.55 Unlike Zakat these items do not have to be in ones's posession for one year but are in ones' posession at the time the Eid salaah approaches.
The great Hanafi jurist Ibn al-Humaam Rahmatullahi 'alaihi mentions,
“Sadaqah al-fitr is compulsory upon every free Muslim.” (Sharh fath al-qadeer 2/285 Dar al-kutub al-ilmiyyah)
All the scholars base their opinion on the following:
Sayyidinaa Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with him) narrates,
‘The Prophet (Sall Allahu 'aliahi wa Aalihi wa sallim) enjoined the payment of one Saa’ of dates or one Saa’ of barley as Zakat-ul-fitr on every Muslim slave or free, male or female, young or old, and he ordered that it be paid before the people went out to offer the ‘Eid prayer.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari 1/409 Altaaf and sons)
Sayyidinaa Abdullah Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) narrates,
“The Prophet (Sall Allahu 'alaihi wa Aalihi wa sallim) declared the payment of Sadaqah al-fitr as obligatory; it purifies the fasting person from any indecent act or speech, and is a source of feeding the poor. If one pays Sadaqah al-fitr before the salaah, it is considered an accepted charity, if he pays it after the salaah, it is considered an ordinary charity.” (Abu Dawud p.263 Dar al-kutub al-ilmiyyah)
Who is required to pay Sadaqah al Fitr?
- Islam: According to all four schools of Islamic Jurisprudence, Islam is a pre-requisite. (Sharh fath al-qadeer 2/286 Dar al-kutub al-ilmiyyah)
- Free: All the scholars agree that a slave will not be obliged to donate Sadaqah al-fitr. (Sharh fath al-qadeer 2/286 dar al-kutub al-ilmiyyah)
- Possessing the quantum (nisaab) for Sadaqah al-fitr: This condition is deduced from the hadith: “Sadaqah isn’t compulsory except for he who is well-off.” (Musnad 10/7 Dar al-Hadith)
What is meant by quantum or minimum amount in one's posession (nisaab) is: that amount of wealth one must have for Sadaqah al-fitr to be compulsory. If somebody possesses less than that amount, he will not be obliged to pay Sadaqah al-fitr.
The Hanafi school specifies a set Nisab. According to the Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali schools, one who possesses surplus provisions for the night and day of Eid for himself and his dependents, will be obliged to discharge of Sadaqah al-fitr. (Mawaahib al-Jaleel 3/257 Dar al-kutub al-ilmiyyah) (Mughni al-muhtaaj 1/594 Dar al-ma’rifah) (al-Mughni 4/301 Dar ‘aalam al-kutub)
For further clarification:
- Sadaqa al Fitr is Wajib (absolutely necessary) on anyone who possesses so much that Zakat is due on him.
- A person though not required to pay Zakat, possesses items more than his daily needs (for the purpose of trade or otherwise). The value of these items adds up to the Nisaab (amount for Zakat being Wajib). Sadaqatul Fitr will be Wajib upon such a person as well, even though a whole year may not have passed while these items were in his or her posession.
- A person should discharge his Sadaqa al Fitr in respect of himself and all those who are dependent upon him like his wife and his minor children (who do not possess any wealth). If they do, the Sadaqatul Fitr may be given from their wealth.
- It is not Wajib to give Sadaqatul Fitr on behalf of a child born on the day of Eid (after the time of Fajr sets in).
- It is not Wajib to give Sadaqatul Fitr on behalf of one's mature children though one may do so voluntarily. One may also give on behalf of his children adult or otherwise who may suffer from a mental disability.
- Sadaqatul Fitr is Wajib and be must discharged this whether one has observed the fast of Ramadan or not.
- Those who is eligible to take Zakat and Sadaqatul Fitr are not required to pay Sadaqa al Fitr.
- Sadaqatul Fitr becomes Wajib on the day of Eid as the time of Fajr Salat arrives. If one dies before the time of Fajr Salat, Sadaqatul Fitr will not be Wajib upon him. I should not be taken from him or from his property
- Anyone having in their posession valuables in excess of $3461.55 is required to pay Sadaqa al Fitr. These items do not have to be in the form of Gold, Silver, merchandise purchased for sale,as is the case with Zakaat. House hold items, personal vehicles, even daily necessities
Understanding The difference between Zakat and Sadaqah Fitr.
Zakat is an obligation ordained by Allahu ta 'ala every Muslim, Male or Female who becomes the owner of a specific amount of wealth known as the “Nisab”. If one’s wealth is equal or more than this specific amount, Zakat will become obligatory upon him. This Nisab is the equivalent in cash, gold, silver, merchandise, etc of 6.12 grams of silver or 87.48 grams of gold. The current valuation for Nisaab is $3994.00.
Now, when one becomes the owner of (the above mentioned) Nisab for the first time in his/her life, then that (Islamic) date should be kept in mind. Then the following year on the same (Islamic) date, if one is still the owner of Nisab, one will be considered as Sahib al-Nisab and Zakat will be obligatory at the rate of 2.5% on the total Zakatable assets. It makes no difference whether the wealth increases or decreases during the course of the year, neither is it necessary that every part of the wealth remains in one’s possession for the whole year. However, if due to some reason all the wealth is lost, then when one becomes the owner of Nisab once again, that will be the new date and Zakat will be calculated thereupon. (See: Bada’i al-Sana’i, 2/96-98 & al-Lubab fi Sharh al-Kitab, 1/145)
Thus, you should fix a date for the calculation of your Zakat. If you are unsure as to when exactly you became the owner of the equivalent of the above mentioned Nisab for the first time, then make a precautionary estimation, and from now on calculate your Zakat each year on that date. Whatever you own on that date, 2.5% of it will have to be given to the poor and needy as Zakat of your wealth.
However, you may subtract from the total the amount you owe to others, for Zakat is not obligatory on wealth that one owes to others.
Sadaqah al Fitr and its' calculation
The way Sadaqah al Fitr is calculated and paid differs from that of Zakat
For example:
One doesn't Zakat eligible items such as cash, gold, silver, etc.. in his possession, but he has other assets equal to the value of Nisab in excess of his personal and basic needs, such as having a surplus car computers, furniture,eating utensils etc… In this case, although Zakat will not be obligatory, but one will have to pay Sadaqa al-Fitr. The amount that needs to be paid for Sadaqa al-Fitr is half Sa’ of wheat or one Sa’ of barley or dates. According to todays' standards one Sa' is equal to 3.2 kilograms or approximately 7.0 pounds (7.05479239 lbs to be precise).
It is permissible to pay the value of these in cash. It is preferable to give cash when the above items such as wheat, barley, date, etc… are easily available. When these items are scarce, then it is better to give them instead of cash. The value of the items are according to the value in the local market where one resides. Hence the value of 3.5 pounds of Wheat, or the value of 7.0 pounds of dates, raisins or barley can be donated per person.
