Sajid Ahmed Umar – Ramadan 2024 #20 Everything About Zakat Al-Fitr
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The importance of leeway for worship and the sadaqatul fitr is discussed, including the importance of giving the "soah before" to celebrate the worship of Book ASAP. Leeway for eating and fasting is also emphasized, along with the importance of measuring weight and sugar in meal staples. The importance of giving sadaqatul fitr to individuals is emphasized, along with giving guidance to the prayer community to distribute it. Leeway for happiness is emphasized as a staple of optimal health and well-being.
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And some people, subhanAllah,
fast throughout the year because they don't have
suhoor and iftar.
So the day of Reel should be a
day in which, alhamdulillah
and insha Allah, nobody from the believers fast.
Let's call it say, generally, asa refers to
2 hands together. 2 hands, not large hands,
not small hands, but
hands that are average.
What you place in these hands
that is part and parcel of the measure.
Now in terms of grams and kilograms because
that's how we work today. We don't work
with a soah. We don't work with this
unit of measure, this volume.
We begin in the name of Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala and we request praises and blessings
upon
Rasulullah. Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. To my brothers and
sisters in Islam, salamu alaykum wa Rahmatuhu Barakatuh.
May Allah's peace, may His blessings, may His
safety, may His mercy
be upon you all.
Welcome to another
episode in our Ramadan
series.
I am going to share with you a
topic that you normally
usually hear towards the end of Ramadan. And
that is sadaqatul fitr or zakat al fitr.
And the reason why I am sharing it
with you now is so that before the
last 10 nights, insha'Allah,
you have knowledge about this because,
there are some rules pertaining to it,
that entail,
it being preserved.
And sometimes we miss these rules because we
become busy with the last 10 nights of
Ramadan
and then SubhanAllah becomes
a worry for us towards the end of
Ramadan.
Sadakatul Fitr and Zakatul Fitr is from the
acts of worship of Ramadan. And our scholars
have said that the wisdom
for this act of worship is to purify
our month from any mistakes
that may have been committed therein, any sins
that may have
been committed therein, any flaws with our fast
or our standing during the night of Ramadan
that may have been committed
therein. So, alhamdulillah, this is an added
extra
avenue and means for expiation that Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala brings to us. Now,
I'm going to start at the point that
many people miss and that is the fact
that this sadaqa, this Zakatul Firtur has to
be given
before the Eid prayer.
After the Eid prayer, it's a general sadaqa.
It's not sadaqaatul fitr. We would have missed
this Ibadah in worship of Ramadan.
It has to be given before the Eid
prayer and it can be given a day
or 2 before the Eid prayer as was
the practice of some of the Sahaba, Rabi'Allahu
Anhu ajma'in. So Alhamdulillah,
there is that leeway for us to ensure
that we
complete this act in the best way
before the day of Eid. Because sometimes we
may be super busy in different circumstances. Maybe
we're hosting families for Eid and we're just
very very busy.
And
before we know it, the Eid prayer comes
and goes and we haven't managed to do
it. So, alhamdulillah, there is that leeway to
get it done a day or 2 before
Ramadan
ends. Now, sadaqatul fitr is
something
designated to the poor and the needy. And
also from the wisdoms of this is to
allow them to have a day of Eid.
They may usually be hungry throughout the year.
And some people, subhanAllah,
they fast throughout the year because they don't
have suhoor and iftar.
Right? So the day of Eid should be
a day in which alhamdulillah
and insha'Allah,
nobody from the believers fasts.
So as you celebrate,
other people as well
can celebrate that they can eat as well.
And the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam stipulated
zakatul fitr or sadaqatul fitr
And he also stipulated the amount that it
is a saa. Now the saa is a
measurement found in Islamic jurisprudence
and it represents a unit of
volume.
That is why
there's differences in terms of the scholars' understanding
of what a soah represents
in terms of KGs and grams. That is
natural because if you measure something based on
a volume,
then the weight will differ based on what
you put inside that measure
that unit that measures things as a unit
of volume. Okay? So, the Prophet sallallahu alaihi
wasallam used to cup his hands together and
he would
give a person sadaqatul fitr.
And this is a matter connected to volume
not amount because he wasn't particularly
weighing the amount. It was whatever could be
captured in his hands, sallallahu alaihi wasallam. That's
why the scholars say generally asa refers to
2 hands together that you
can Or 2 hands, not large hands, not
small hands,
but hands that are average.
What you place in
these hands that is part and parcel of
the measure, that is part and parcel of
this volume, this saw. And
at his time, predominantly wheat was given and
that is why some of the scholars would
say that sadaqatul fitr is a soa, is
this volume of
wheat.
However,
another opinion exists and this is the preferred
opinion across the madahib and of Islamic scholarship
that
sodakatul fitr is connected to the staple diet
of a place that it is being given
in. That is why sometimes this question is
asked.
Can I pay sadaqatul fitr abroad or should
I pay it locally?
And the answer to that question is
sadaqaatul fitr is best paid where your body
is. Meaning where you are celebrating
it. Right? Whilst zakah, your normal zakah, is
best paid where your wealth actually is, where
the poor can see your wealth. But on
the day of Eid, this is sadaqaatul fitr.
It should be paid where your body is.
Where people see you celebrating and they can
smile as well because they will get that
zakatul fitr or zakatul fitr. And they will
also be able to feed themselves and their
family on that day and have a day
of happiness. Now, in terms of grams and
kilograms, because that's how we work today, we
don't work with a so'ah. We don't work
with this unit of measure, this volume.
Then, to be safe, it's between 2.53
kilos. 2.53
kilos to be safe. Some of our scholars
said if you're giving rice, then
it's 2,100
grams or 2.1 kilograms s. But again, because
rice is obviously a staple in many countries,
But in some countries it isn't. Some countries
the staple is lentils. If you give them
rice, they're not going to have a deal
of it. They might not even know how
to cook the rice or even eat the
rice. And I've seen this myself
during my visit to
a country. So,
the staple diet and to be safe, to
be safe, a ballpark figure between 2.53
KGs, alhamdulillah,
you take care of this. And alhamdulillah, if
Allah has given you financial standing and material
well-being, there's no impact on your budget between
2.53
kilos. But if things are difficult for you,
then use 2.5 to be safe as a
base figure and connect it to the staple.
Now, on this topic of staple versus cash,
because people ask this question as well,
the majority of the scholars say that sadaqatul
fitr should be given in kind not in
cash. In kind not in cash. A minority
of scholars say it can be given
in cash
as long as you know that the poor
or the needy receiving it won't abuse it.
It won't be used for haram. The reason
why the majority say it should be given
in kind, not cash, because the prophet, salallahu
alaihi wa sallam, would distribute it as food.
He would distribute it in kind.
But this should be a matter that you
shouldn't be too concerned about. You should just
go back to the scholars of the country
that you are in and seek from them
their fatwa on this matter. Seek from them
their fatwa on this matter because they are
responsible for the Islamic affairs of the place
that you live in. And alhamdulillahrubbaalamin
this is the guidance from Allah upon you.
He says,
Ask your people of knowledge
in Kuntumlata alamun if you don't know. So
what I've shared with you is general knowledge,
but do go to them and ask them
if it can be given in cash or
it has to be given in kind and
follow their guidance. So this is a quick
fire FAQ
episode
on sadaqaatul fitr. So be sure, my dear
brothers and sisters in Islam, to
distribute your sadaqaatul fitr, your zakatul fitr. They're
both the same thing. They're interchangeable terms before
the Eid prayer. Insha'Allah.
Right? And hopefully this will
reduce
or this episode, I hope, will reduce the
amount of questions
we get from people who, subhanAllah,
through one event or another, miss giving
their zakatul fitr or sadakatul fitr before their
Eid prayer. Dish it out before the Eid
prayer and be a means of the happiness
of others. And also, let it be a
means of your Ramadan being expiated
before the final moment of Ramadan which is
that Eid prayer. Yes, Ramadan ends the night
before and
the Eid happens the next day but there
is this prize giving that Allah
carries out. He showers upon us the rewards
of our month. So let those rewards reach
us without any obstacle. Sadakatul Fitr removes the
obstacles. So distribute it before the Eid pray.
I love you all for the sake of
Allah. Until next time. Assalamu alaykum.