Fast-Breaking Zakat
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Ramadan
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All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinn
and all that exists). Prayers and peace of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad
and upon all his family and companions.
The following is a synopsis about the fast-breaking zakat. I ask Allah to
benefit everyone from it and that He accepts their zakat and the rest of their
deeds.
The meaning of fast-breaking zakat
It is the zakat caused by breaking the fast after Ramadan. It is also called
the fast-breaking charity. The texts mentioned the two terms.
It is called the fast-breaking alms as it is a donation upon breaking the fast
for the sake of being rewarded by Allah. Giving it willingly to the deserved
persons in its due time shows the real desire for such reward. It is called ''zakat''
as paying it -for the sake of Allah alone- purifies the soul from its filth,
augments it for deeds and redresses its defects.
It is added to breaking the fast as it is the reason for it. It is obligated
by the breaking the fast after Ramadan -after completing the month by seeing
the crescent- it is thus added to it because it is obligated by it.
The date of its legalization and the evidence for that:
It was ordained in the second year of the migration - i.e. with Ramadan. The
evidence of its legality is the Quran in general, the clear authenticated
Sunnah and the consensus of all Muslims. Allah Almighty has said, {Indeed
whosoever purifies himself (by avoiding polytheism and accepting Islâmic
Monotheism) shall achieve success} [Surat Al-A'lâ 87:14] i.e. he who purifies
himself by alms succeeds and totally wins.
{قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى} الأعلى: 14
Transliteration: Qad aflaha man tazakka
Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him, used to order for the
fast-breaking zakat and recite the previous verse.
Ikrima, may Allah have mercy on him, said about that verse, ''it is the man
who provides his zakat before him''; meaning before his prayer; i.e. ''the
feast.''
Several predecessors, may Allah Almighty have mercy on them, said about such
verse that it is the fast-breaking zakat.
Ibn Khuzaymah and others reported traceable Hadith for the Prophet, prayers
and peace of Allah be upon him.
Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said that it -the fast-breaking zakat- is
included in the general meaning of the saying of Allah Almighty {and give
Zakât}.
{وَآتُواْ الزَّكَاةَ}
Transliteration: waatoo alzzakata
It is established in the two authenticated books of Hadith and others from
different ways that, ''The Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be
upon him, has ordained the fast-breaking zakat.''
«فرض رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم زكاة الفطر» متفق عليه
Muslims at all times agree unanimously about it. The people in the Medina did
not consider any other charity better than it.
Its ruling:
Ibn Al-Munther, may Allah have mercy on him, and others have a unanimous
consensus that it is obligatory. Isaac, may Allah have mercy on him, said,
''It is like consensus.''
I say, ''It is enough evidence for its obligation -with the ability in time-
that the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, expressed it as
obligatory, as has been declared by ibn 'Umar and ibn Abbas.''
Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, said ''The Messenger of Allah,
prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, ordained the fast-breaking zakat''.
Such Hadith and others with the same meaning were expressed by others, may
Allah be pleased with them.
The philosophy behind its legalization:
The fast-breaking zakat has been legalized to purify the soul from its filth;
like avarice and other bad morals. It is ordained to purify fasting from what
can affect it or diminish its rewards such as vain talk, obscenity and the
like. Fast-breaking zakat is ordained to compliment the reward and to develop
the good deeds. It consoles the poor and the needy and prevents them from the
humility of asking others on the feast day.
Ibn Abbas narrated a traceable Hadith that, ''The Messenger of Allah, prayers
and peace of Allah be upon him, has ordained the fast-breaking zakat as a
purification for the fasting person from vain talk and obscenity and as a
feeding for the needy.'' [Reported by Abu Dawud and authenticated by Al-Albani]
«عن ابن عباس قال: فرض رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم زكاة الفطر طهرة للصائم من
اللغو والرفث وطعمة للمساكين» رواه أبو داود وصححه الألباني
It contains: showing the gratification for the grace of Allah Almighty that
His slave has completed the fasting of Ramadan, has easily performed the night
prayers and the performance of righteous deeds through it.
It contains: prevailing love and cordiality among the groups of the Islamic
society.
For whom it is obligatory:
The Fast-breaking zakat is a zakat upon every person. It is obligatory upon
every Muslim; whether male or female, free or slave, whether one lives in
cities, villages or deserts by the consensus of the significant Muslims. That
is why some of the predecessors paid it in behalf of the unborn child.
I say: it is not obligatory to be paid on behalf of the unborn children. But
it may be considered as a gratitude for the gift (the unborn child) of Allah
and a wish for this gift to be virtuous.
Among the evidence that it is obligatory:
The Hadith of Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, who
said, ''The Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him,
ordained the fast-breaking zakat as a sâ' (One Sâ' = 3 Kilograms approx.) of
dates or a sâ' of barley upon Muslim free men as well as on slaves, male and
female and young and old people. He ordained it to be paid before people went
out to offer the feast prayer.'' [Reported by Al-Bukhari]
«فرض رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم زكاة الفطر، صاعا من تمر أو صاعا من شعير، على
العبد والحر، والذكر والأنثى، والصغير والكبير، من المسلمين، وأمر بها أن تؤدى
قبل خروج الناس إلى الصلاة» رواه البخاري
There are other Hadiths with the same meaning that declare the obligation and
enjoin the zakat. However, it is obligatory on the rich – the rich in this
issue is not the same as the rich in the issue of money zakat. In the
fast-breaking zakat, the rich is the one who has still a remaining sâ' on the
day or night of the feast from his food and the food of his children and those
whom he must sustain.
As for those who are not responsible such as the orphans, the insane and the
like, their legal custodians pay it from their money. If they do not have
money, so he pays for those whom he must sustain; for the general meaning of
the Hadith narrated from the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him,
that he has said, ''Pay the fast-breaking zakat for those whom you supply with
provisions.'' [Declared good by Al-Albani]
«أدوا الفطر عمن تمونون» حسنه الألباني
The kinds of foods from which the fast-breaking zakat is paid:
It was proved in the Authenticated Book of Hadith that Abu Sa'îd Al-Khudry,
may Allah be pleased with him, said, ''We paid it – i.e. the fast-breaking
zakat – in the time of the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, as
a sâ' of food, a sâ' of date, a sâ' of barley or a sâ' of raisin''. [Agreed
upon]
«كنا نعطيها في زمان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم صاعا من طعام، أو صاعا من تمر، أو
صاعا من شعير، أو صاعا من زبيب» متفق عليه
In another narration in the Authenticated Book of Hadith, he said, ''Our foods
were the barley, raisin, cheese and dates.'' [Reported by Al-Bukhari]
«وكان طعامنا الشعير والزبيب والإقط والتمر» رواه البخاري
It is better to be confined to these mentioned kinds as long as they are
available and there are people who accept them as foods; so one pays the best
and most useful of them for the poor. It is reported that ibn Umar, may Allah
be pleased with him and his father, used to pay it in dates. It is reported
that, ''Ibn Umar did not pay the fast-breaking zakat but in dates, except for
one time in which he paid it in barley as the people of Medina were in need
for dates – i.e. there were no dates in Medina, so he paid it in barley.''
[Al-Albani, Its chain of transmission is authentic]
« وكان ابن عمر إذا أعطى أعطى التمر إلا عاما واحدا أعوز من التمر فأعطى شعيرا»
الألباني، إسناده صحيح
It is an alert that it is a must to pay the best and most useful for them. In
the schools of Malik, Shafei, Ahmed and the majority of scholars wheat is the
best and dates come following. Allah Almighty has said, {By no means shall you
attain Al-Birr (piety, righteousness - here it means Allâh's Reward, i.e.
Paradise), unless you spend (in Allâh's Cause) of that which you love;} [Surat
Al-'Imrân 3:92]
{لَن تَنَالُواْ الْبِرَّ حَتَّى تُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ}آل عمران: 92
Transliteration: Lan tanaloo albirra hatta tunfiqoo mimma tuhibboona
Therefore, paying it from one of such kinds, if there are people who accept
them as a food, is better as it will be corresponding to the Sunnah and a
precaution for one's religion. If they are not available, it can be paid in
the rest of the foods of the country.
Some scholars - Malik, al-Shafei, Ahmed and others, argued that each feeding
grains and fruits are acceptable, even if they are not among the mentioned
five kinds. This is the choice of Sheikh of Islam Ibn Taymiyyah who argued by
His Almighty's saying, {on a scale of the average of that with which you feed
your own families,} [Surat Al-Mâ'idah 5:89]
{مِنْ أَوْسَطِ مَا تُطْعِمُونَ أَهْلِيكُمْ}المائدة: 89
Transliteration: min awsati ma tutAAimoona ahleekum
He also argued by the saying of the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be
upon him in the two authentic books of hadeeth, ''A sâ' of food.''
«...صاعا من طعام...» متفق عليه
Food can be wheat or barley. He said, ''This is the saying of the majority of
scholars and the most right saying. The basis of alms is that they are
obligated as a consolation for the poor''.
Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said, ''This is the right saying
that bears no other interpretation. The aim is to fulfill the need of the poor
on the feast day and to console them from the same kinds of food of the people
of their country.
I say, ''This is an exercise of judgment from such distinguished imams, may
Allah Almighty have mercy on them. There is no doubt, however, that if one of
the kinds which have been mentioned by the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah
be upon him, and are accepted by some as their usual food; otherwise, if other
kinds are more preferable and easier for people, so they are worthier that the
fast-breaking zakat be paid in as they fulfill the consolation and
sufficiency. The Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has said,
''Righteousness is what the self is satisfied with and the heart is assured
with; the sin is what has been weaved in the soul and roamed in the chest,
even if people give you a religious opinion, even if they give you a religious
opinion.'' [Al-Albani, good by the virtue of another]
«البر ما اطمأنت إليه النفس، واطمأن إليه القلب، والإثم ما حاك في القلب، وتردد
في الصدر وإن أفتاك الناس وأفتوك» الألباني، حسن لغيره
Abu Sa'îd Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ''As for me, I am
still paying it as I used to do in the time of the Prophet, prayers and peace
of Allah be upon him. i.e. a sâ', not a half sâ', of food.''
The obligatory amount in the fast-breaking zakat:
It is proved in the authenticated Hadiths that the Prophet, prayers and peace
of Allah be upon him, has ordained the fast-breaking zakat as a sâ'.
What is meant by it:
It is the sâ' of the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, which is
four 'half bushels'. A 'half bushel' is the fill of the two palms of a man of
average sized hands from good wheat and the like grains. They are about two
kilos and a half. The excess of the due measure can be intended as general
charity. Allah Almighty has said, {So whosoever does good equal to the weight
of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it.} [Surat Az-Zalzalah 99:7]
{فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْراً يَرَهُ} الزلزلة: 7
Transliteration: Faman yaAAmal mithqala tharratin khayran yarahu
The time of paying the zakat:
There are two times for paying the fast-breaking zakat:
The first: a virtue time that starts from the sunset of the feast eve
until the time of the feast prayer. The best of it is the time between the
dawn prayer and the feast prayer as it is proved in the Authenticated Book
from the Hadith of ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him and his father,
that, ''The Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has
ordained the fast-breaking zakat'', till the rest of the Hadith.
«فرض رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم زكاة الفطر،...»
In such Hadith, he said, ''He has ordained it to be paid before people's going
out to perform the [feast] prayer.'' [Agreed upon]
«...وأمر بها أن تؤدى قبل خروج الناس إلى الصلاة» متفق عليه
The interpretation of some of the predecessors about the saying of Allah
Almighty, {Indeed whosoever purifies himself (by avoiding polytheism and
accepting Islâmic Monotheism) shall achieve success, (14) And remembers
(glorifies) the Name of his Lord (worships none but Allâh), and prays (five
compulsory prayers and Nawâfil - additional prayers).} [Surat Al-A'lâ :14-15]
{قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى (14) وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى} الأعلى:
14-15
Transliteration: Qad aflaha man tazakka (14) Wathakara isma rabbihi fasalla
that it is the man who pays his fast-breaking zakat before performing his
[feast] prayer.
The second: a permissible rewarded time that is one or two days before the
feast day, as in the authenticated book of al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on
him, that he said, ''They, i.e. the companions, used to pay -i.e. the needy-
one or two days before fast breaking.'' It was a unanimous agreement by them.
In the Hadith of ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, ''if
anyone pays it before the [feast] prayer, it will be an accepted zakat and if
anyone pays it after the [feast] prayer, it will be a charity like other
charities.'' [Reported by Ibn Majjah and declared good by Al-Albani]
«فمن أداها قبل الصلاة فهي زكاة مقبولة ومن أداها بعد الصلاة فهي صدقة من الصدقات»
رواه ابن ماجه وحسنه الألباني
Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ''Accordingly, it is not
permissible to delay it after the feast prayer''.
I say, ''i.e. without an excuse. It is missed by finishing the feast prayer''.
Sheikh of Islam said, ''If he delays it to be paid after the feast prayer, it
is then a make-up for, it is not abated by the end of its due time.''
Others said, ''Scholars agreed that it is not abated for those whom it is
obligatory by delaying it. It is rather a debt until he pays it. Delaying it
after the feast day is forbidden. If he intentionally delays it, he is to make
up for it and is unanimously considered a sinner.''
To whom fast-breaking alms are given:
In the Hadith of ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, he
said, ''The Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has
ordained the fast-breaking zakat as a purification for the fasting person from
vain talk and obscenity and as a feeding for the needy.'' [Reported by Abu
Dawud and authenticated by Al-Albani]
«عن ابن عباس قال: فرض رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم زكاة الفطر طهرة للصائم من
اللغو والرفث وطعمة للمساكين» رواه أبو داود وصححه الألباني
In this Hadith, it is paid to the needy and not to any others. Sheikh of Islam
Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said, ''It is not permissible to
be paid but only for those who deserve to be given the expiations; those who
take for their own need.''
A group of people or a family can pay their zakat to one needy and the zakat
of one person can be divided into more than one needy for a severe need. It
must, however, be paid to the same needy or to his/her deputy who is
authorized to receive it.
Paying the money value of the fast-breaking zakat
It is not permissible to pay the fast-breaking zakat in money ''instead of it
in grains and fruits'' as the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him,
stipulated the kinds of food although their money value is known. If the money
value had been sufficed, the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him,
would have showed that. It is not allowed to delay declaration from the time
of need. In addition, it is not known that any of the companions of the
Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, paid the fast-breaking zakat
as money – though they were able to do that in their time. They are the best
knowing persons about his Sunnah and the extremely keen persons to follow his
way. Furthermore, paying the zakat as money leads to hiding such great rite;
it leads people to ignore its rulings and underestimate it.
Imam Ahmed said, ''One is not to pay the money value for it. It is said to
him, some people say: Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz used to take the money? He said:
they leave the saying of the Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be
upon him, and say: so-and-so said''. In addition, Ibn Umar said ''The
Messenger of Allah, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, has ordained the
fast-breaking zakat.'' [Agreed upon]
«فرض رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم زكاة الفطر» متفق عليه
I said: paying the money value instead of food is not permissible as it
contradicts the saying and deed of the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be
upon him, of his companions and followers – even if some scholars said that.
What is important is what has been proved about the Prophet, prayers and peace
of Allah be upon him, not those men who contradict his guidance. Ibn Abbas,
may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said ''Stones from the heaven
are about to fall on you. I say to you the Messenger of Allah, prayers and
peace of Allah be upon him, has said and you say Abu Bakr and Umar said!!''
Transferring the fast-breaking zakat from one's country to another
The basis is that a person is to pay his/her fast-breaking zakat to the poor
people in which the zakat is obligatory while he/she is there. It is obligated
to be paid by the sunset of the eve of the feast. Transferring it to another
country leads to the delay in giving it in its due time. It may lead to pay
the money value of it, and thus to hide such rite and the people's ignorance
of the Sunnah of the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, about
it.
It is not proved that the Prophet, prayers and peace of Allah be upon him, or
any of his Caliphs or any of the companions, may Allah be pleased with them,
according to my knowledge, have transferred it from Medina to another place.
Accordingly, transferring it in our current time, from once society to
another, as some call for that, is a heresy that must be warned against.
People must be warned against the contravention of such act. We seek help from
Allah.
As for a person who entrusts his/her family to pay the zakat in the country
where they live, while he/she lives in another country, such matter is not
related to this issue. Transferring the zakat of one country to another is the
issue that may lead to the previous contradictions, that is why I call the
attention to it. Prayers and peace of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad and
upon all his family and companions.
Abdullah ibn Saleh Al-Qasîr
Ibn Khuzaymah House
en.wathakker.info
EsinIslam
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