Assalaam Alaekum wa Rrahmatullah wa Barakatuh

*RAMADAN DAY 26*

*ZAKATUL FITR*

At the end of this Ramadān fast, we Muslims are expected to celebrate the unique opportunity given to us by Allāh to attain spiritual elevation to the rank of _Muttaqūn_ , that is, the rank of those who are always conscious of Allah in whatever they do, while they ensure that they allow it to influence their actions. The Prophet, _saaws_ , would like to see every Muslim in joyous mood, with enough food to eat during the celebration. He, therefore, instituted _Zakātul fitr_ in Sha'bān of the second year of the Hijrah, making it mandatory for every Muslim who has a _Sā'_ (about 1.2 kg / 1.2 L) of dried dates or barley in excess of his requirements for the day, and those of his immediate family, to give it out to another Muslim who does not have any food to eat. In other words, no Muslim should be allowed to be hungry on 'Īdul Fitr day.

( A _Sā_ ' is a measure of volume equivalent to 4 _Muddu_ , which is about 8.5 tins of Peak or Three Crowns Milk of 140 ml equivalent to one _Kongo_ measure, equivalent to 1.2 L / 1.2 kg).

*Purification from Evil talk and Obscenity*
_Zakātul fitr_ was instituted to serve as purification for the fasting Muslim who might have inadvertently engaged in evil talks or obscenity. It is quite unfortunate that some Muslims do not realise the philosophy behind fasting. They involve in evil talks and unethically acceptable Islamic practices while fasting. They do not allow the fasting to impact positively on their behaviour. They do not imbue the spirit of _taqwa_ , which is the goal of fasting in Ramadān (Q2:183).

The Prophet, _saaws_ , had warned that whoever does not abandon evil talk or any act associated with it, Allah will not have anything to do with his abandonment of his food and drinks (fasting) . Al-Bukhārī narrated it from Abū Hurayrah.

We need, therefore, to realise the purpose of fasting, which is to inculcate _taqwa_ in Muslims. It is only the magnanimity of Allah that can make the fasting of an uncouth Muslim rewardable, rather than the 1.2 kg of grain or its monetary value given to the poor or the needy at the end of Ramadān. Islam is not merely a ritualistic religion, but rather a system of life designed to mould the Muslim's character and make him become refined and polished.

*Who Pays _Zakātul _Fitr_ ?*
It is paid by every Muslim whether rich or poor, male or female, young or old, slave or freeborn. The head of each household pays a _Sā'_ ( Four _Mudd_ , approximately 1.2 kg/ 1.2 L) of any _Zakātul fitr_ item per every Muslim who depends on him for his daily sustenance, including his domestic servants. He also pays on behalf of a baby born immediately before sunrise of the day of 'Īd.

*Recipients* .
_Zakātul fitr_ is paid to any Muslim who does not have one _Sā'_ of food in excess of his need. This Zakāt is obviously meant for the poor and the needy. It is not meant for all the eight categories of recipients of Zakāt of Wealth mentioned in Q9:60. It is not primarily meant for the Imām who leads during _Tarāwih_ prayer as the practice in some places. The Imām may be given if he does not have a _Sā'_ of food in excess of his need. He may however serve as a collector on behalf of the poor in his mosque. He must however ensure that they receive it before 'Īd prayer, because of the directives of the Prophet, _saaws_ that it must be given to the recipient before 'Īd prayer or else it will be regarded as just another form of Sadaqah, which may not attract a great reward as _Zakātul fitr_ .

This Zakāt may be paid two or three days before 'Īd as the practice of the Sahāba, but not longer than that, if it will serve its purpose. That is also the view of Hanbalī and Mālikī Schools, which is contrary to that of the Shāfi'ī that adopts the beginning of the month of Ramadān, while Hanafī says that it could be paid as early as the beginning of the year. Do they expect the recipients to keep the _Zakātul_ _fitr_ till the day of ' _Īdulfitr_ without consuming them while they are hungry? That is unrealistic.

*What is paid as _Zakātul Fitr_ ?*
According to the _hadith_ of Ibn 'Umar _RA_ , and narrated by Imam al-Bukhārī, a _Sā'_ of dried *dates* or a _Sā'_ of *barley* was mentioned by the Prophet, _saaws_ , as the items with which _Zakātul fitr_ is paid. Scholars however have expanded its scope to be the *staple* *food* of the community ( *Qūtulbalad* ) in which one lives , or where the recipient resides, which may be wheat, corn, millet, rice or _gari_.

Opinions however differ on the use of money as a mode of payment of _ _Zakātul_ _Fitr_ _ Many scholars insist on kind rather than cash on the basis that the Prophet, _saaws__ , did not pay cash. The scholars include Mālik, Shāfī', Hanbalī, Ibn Bāz and Ibn al-Uthaymeen. Those who endorse its payment by cash include Abū Hanīfah, Ishaq Ibn Rahwiya, Abu al-Thawr, Hasan al-Basrī, 'Umar b. 'Abdul 'Azīz who enforced it during his _Khilāfah_ (717 -720 CE), Ibn Taymīyyah and Qardāwī. They all considered the need and the interest of the recipients before taking this decision.

If we too consider that the recipient may need money to turn the raw food items such as rice, millet or _gari_ into real food, and buy other ingredients including meat or fish to prepare soup, we will not hesitate to go with those who endorse money for its payment. We need to be realistic. How many people consume grains alone today without adding other food items? Nobody eats maize or millet or rice alone without soup , fish or meat. Furthermore, if everyone gives raw food items, the recipient's store will be filled up beyond his immediate need. He may be forced to sell them at giveaway price. It is therefore better that some people pay in kind, while others pay in cash. One may even give out about 50% of the Zakat in kind and the rest in cash. Doing so will ensure that the recipient has raw food and cash for turning the raw food into real food. Payment in cash may even empower the poor and raise his status out of poverty line. He may also use the money to meet other things that he needs other than food.

Findings of an empirical study conducted here in Nigeria recently revealed that most street beggars, especially the itinerant ones, preferred cash to kind. Some of them accepted food stuff reluctantly because it was burdensome carrying them about before reaching home. On the other hand, all the beggars who sat in a particular place collected the grains willingly but sold them later in the day to a grain seller at a very low price, much lower than what they would have been given if the _Zakātul_ _fitr_ had been given to them in cash.

*Payment of _Zakātul fitr_ in cash* has attracted condemnations from some scholars who declare it as *_bid'ah_* on the basis that the Prophet, _saaws_ , did not give cash but kind. Ironically, the scholars accept the use of items like rice, _gari_ , millet, and maize, being the *staple food* of certain communities. One expects that such scholars would have classified them as *_bid'ah_* , too, because the Prophet, _saaws_ , did not give such food items as _Zakātul fitr_ . This shows that it is not everything that the Prophet, _saaws_ , did not do that must be classified as _bid'ah_ . It must also be noted that the Prophet, _saaws_ , did not mention " *staple food of a place* - *Qūtul balad* " as items of _Zakātul fitr_ . It was a new development after him based on reality.

*Cash* *Equivalent*
Prices of food items vary from one location to another, even within the same town. On the average, the estimated cost of 1.2Kg / 1.2 L of the items is as follows

Beans #2,000
Gari #1,000
Rice. #2,000
Millet. #1,200
Guinea corn #1,200
Maize. # 1,000

A Muslim who is responsible for the feeding of five people including himself and his domestic servant, for example, shall multiply the cost of his preferred item above by 5, and that is the _Zakatul fitr_ he is expected to pay before 'Īd prayer

In conclusion, it should be noted that _Zakātul fitr_ has been put in place to enable every Muslim partake in the celebration of _'Idulfitr_ without having any reason to engage in begging for food to eat. The welfare of the poor and the needy is paramount in Islam. The poor must be cared for and empowered to move out of poverty and become self -sufficient. The poor must resolve to move out of poverty through hard work and Allah's _barakah_ .

I pray to Allah to accept our fasting in this month of Ramadān and the payment of _Zakātul fitr_ as rewardable acts of _'Ibādah_ .

HAPPY JUMAAT, HAPPY WEEKEND, RAMADAN KAREEM

Prof. Yasir Anjola Quadri,
Ramadān 1445