8 Basic Boo-Boo's some make when Paying Zakat

Al-FitrBy Muhammad Alshareef

compliments of http://www.PostRamadan.com

• I feel compelled to put this together because I’ve seenthe following boo-boos happen for years. In sha Allah,you can help me spread the word by sharing this articlewith your community, friends and family.

• What is Zakat ul-Fitr? Think “Iftar”, Zakat Ul-Fitr isthe charity that we pay at the end of Ramadan. Here is thefoundational hadith that establishes the obligation ofZakat ul-Fitr:

Ibn `Umar reported that the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam), made Zakat al-Fitr compulsory on every slave,freeman, male, female, young and old among the Muslims; oneSaa` (a measurement: four double handfuls) of dried dates orone Saa` of barely.[Sahih Bukhari - Arabic/English, vol. 2, p. 339, no. 579]

• To understand Zakat ul-Fitr, here is a good summary of it:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Zakat_al-fitr

But unfortunately, our community makes some basic boo-boos inthe payment of Zakat Al-Fitr that must be clarified.

One

• Boo-Boo One: Paying at Eid SalahSome people go to Eid prayers and drop money into thedonation box thinking that they have paid their Zakatul-Fitr. No, Zakat al-Fitr, which is food, must be in thehands of the needy family BEFORE Eid prayer. If someonegoes to Eid prayer and pays then it is GUARANTEED that themoney will NOT arrive on time. And thus the person payingis sinful for having missed the payment of Zakat al-Fitr.May Allah forgive us.

Two

• Boo-Boo Two: Snail mailing the money overseasBasic principle as before: the Zakat al-Fitr, food, MUST bein the hands of the needy BEFORE Eid prayer. One cannot mailthe money overseas and have it arrive in the hands of theneedy after Eid prayer is over.

However, if one is able to get the Zakah al-Fitr to theneedy overseas BEFORE Eid prayer is conducted in theirlocality, then in sha Allah it’s alright.

Three

• Boo-Boo Three: Not payingYes, as simple as this boo-boo is, it is HARAM to skip thepayment of Zakat Al-Fitr. EVERYONE must pay Zakat Al-Fitr,every member of the household. So if you have 8 people inyour house, Zakat Al-Fitr must be paid x 8, even if theyoungest member is just a few days old.

Four

• Boo-Boo Four: Confusing Zakat ul-Fitr with Zakat ul-MaalWe are talking about Zakat al-Fitr here (think “Iftar”,i.e. Ramadan). Zakat Al-Maal (Maal literally means wealth),is the Zakah due on ones money – and that could be dueany time during the year depending on when it was due.

Five• Boo-Boo Five: Giving money instead of food

Although some scholars have allowed giving money instead offood, the spirit of Zakat Al-Fitr is to give food to theneedy of the community, NOT money.

The Companion of the Prophet, Abu Sa`eed al-Khudree, radiAllahu 'anhu, said, "In the Prophet's time, we used to giveit (Zakatal-Fitr) as a sa` of food, dried dates, barley,raisins or dried cheese".[Bukhari - Arabic/English vol. 2, p. 340, no. 582]

Six

• Boo-Boo Six: Giving one’s Zakah al-Fitr to a charitable building projectSome people mistakenly give their Zakah Al-Fitr to acharitable building project: like the building of a Masjid,or Islamic school. There is a difference of opinion on thisissue, but suffice it to say that the spirit of ZakahAl-Fitr is that the needy should have plentiful food onEid. All eight types of recipients of Zakah mentioned inthe Quran are HUMANS, not “building projects”.

Seven

• Boo-Boo Seven: Giving Zakat ul-Fitr to non-MuslimsCharity is given to both Non-Muslims and Muslims. However,Zakah al-Fitr charity is something exclusive to the MUSLIMpoor and needy. Hence, one could not give Zakah Al-Fitr toany needy person on the street. “Regular” charity canbe given to them, but not Zakah Al-Fitr.

Eight

• Boo-Boo Eight: Delaying distributionSometimes Masjids might collect Zakah Al-Fitr money andthen put it in a bank. It doesn’t reach the needy formonths and months. The correct method is to give ZakahAl-Fitr immediately when it is due.

• In sha Allah, if you have Zakah questions, I encourage youto seek counsel from your local sources of knowledge.People you can speak to directly. And I've noted some pointsthat have a difference of opinion, so if your local sources ofknowledge tell you other than what I've told you, and youtrust them, then listen to them.

With best wishes to see you succeed in Ramadan at the highest level!- Muhammad Alshareef

http://www.PostRamadan.com

Many thanks for this super useful information

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