How to calculate Zakat-ul-fitr?
Mu' meneen Brothers
and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi
wa Barakatuh. (May
Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters
has asked this question:
how you calculate the fitra? and how i
calculate my zakat and did i
distribute my zakat money to the needy people i know?
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may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum
does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from
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Answer:
How to calculate Zakat-ul-fitr?
In the name of
Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever
Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can
guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person,
no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone,
and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His
Messengers.
Your comment: how you calculate the fitra?
We assume that you
mean ‘zakat-ul-fitr’ when you say ‘fitra’. The minimum
amount that one must give as ‘zakat-ul-fitr’ is
determined by the following narration of the Messenger of Allah (saws):
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.579
Allah's Apostle (saws) enjoined the payment
of one Sa' of dates or one Sa' 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 'Id prayer.
Al-Bukhari and
Muslim relate that: "The Prophet(saws) enjoined the payment of one sa' of dates or one sa' of barley
as zakat ul-fitr on every
Muslim, young and old, male and female, free and slave."
Al-Baihaqi and ad-Daraqutni relate: "The Messenger of Allah (saws)
enjoined the zakat ul-fitr, and also said:
'Free them (the poor) from want on this day.'"
The
required amount of zakat ul-fitr
is one sa' of wheat, barley, raisins, dry cottage
cheese (aqit), rice, corn, or similar items
considered as basic foods (qut). Abu Hanifah made
it permissible to set aside, as a zakat ul-fitr, an equivalent value and also said that if the
payer pays in wheat, one-half of a sa' would be
sufficient. Abu Sa'id
al-Khudri reported: "We used to give on behalf
of every child, old person, freeman, and slave during the lifetime of the
Messenger of Allah (saws), one sa' of food, or one sa' of dried cottage cheese, or one sa'
of barley, or one sa' of dates, or one sa' of raisins as zakat ul-fitr. Abu Sa'id contended: "I would continue to give as I used
to give, namely, one sa' as
long as I live." This is related by
most hadith narrators. At-Tirmidhi
remarks: "Some of the scholars gave one sa' from every charitable item [which is accepted as
a sound practice]." Ash-Shaf'i and Ishaq sustain this
view but some other scholars gave one sa'
from every charitable item except wheat, of which only half a sa' would be sufficient. This is the saying of Sufyan, Ibn al-Mubarak, and the scholars of Kufah.
One Saa' is equal to four (4) Mudd,
and one (1) Mudd is equal to the amount held by
cupping the two hands together. It is a measure by volume not by weight. As the amount would differ
if we compare the value of one saa' of dates to one saa' of barley for example. Since a saa' of
barley is approximately $2.00, while a saa' of dates
ranges -according to quality from $1.50 - $60.00!; the scholars are unanimous in their opinion
that the minimum amount per person as zakat-ul-fitr
in this day and age is about $2.50.
If is preferable
(and some scholars say mandatory) to give the zakat-ul-fitr
as food to the poor and needy of the society.
But if one is not able to personally give out the food as zakat-ul-fitr, it is permissible to give the
equivalent amount to an organization who collects the zakat-ul-fitr; and they in turn will purchase the food on
your behalf and give it to the poor and needy.
Your comment: how i calculate my zakat and did i distribute my zakat money to
the needy people i know?
Zakat is the
tax levied by Allah Subhanah and the right of the
poor believers on the wealth of the rich believers of the society. The rate of the normal zakat
is 2.5% of the person’s excess wealth or net worth, which has been in his
possession for a period of one year.
Zakat can be
paid out to any of the following eight deservants as
ordained by Allah in the Glorious Quran:
Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 60: Zakat
Collections are for the needy, and the indigent, and for those who are employed
to collect them, and for those whose hearts are to be won over, and for the
ransoming of slaves, and for helping the debtors, and the way of Allah, and for
the hospitality of the way-farers.
The
needy
The
indigent
To those
who are employed to collect them (by the Islamic State)
To those
whose hearts are to be won over (to the non-muslims
who are contemplating accepting Islam)
For the
ransoming of slaves
To help
one who is in debt
In the
Way of Allah
For the
hospitality of way-farers
If you
pay your zakat dues to the poor and needy that you
know (and especially if they are from among your poor relatives), then that is better
than giving it to someone whom you do not know…. As your poor relatives have a
bigger right on you than the others.
Whatever
written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance,
and whatever of error is of me. Allah
Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.
Your Brother in Islam,