Zakat Al-Fitr زكاة الفطر or Sadaqat Al-fitr صدقة الفطر is a charity given to the poor at the end of the fasting in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The word Fitr فطر means the same as Iftaar إفطار (= breaking a fast) and Futoor فطور (= breakfast). The root verb for all these nouns is أفطرَ /af’tara/ = to break one’s fast or to have breakfast. It is the climax of the good deeds of Ramadan. After one feels and shares the hunger feeling of the poor, one should do something towards it, so he gives out that amount of charity to help the needy feel happy at the feast day which follows Ramadan.
Zakat Al-Fitr is a duty which is Wajib واجب (required) of every Muslim, whether male or female, minor (even the newly-born) or adult, as long as he/she has the means to do so. This Sadaqah or Zakah is required only if the family has enough food for the night and day of the feast day. The breadwinner عائل of the family or the head of the household may pay the amount for the other members. This Zakah also, is only Wajib for a particular period of time. If one misses the time period without a good reason, then he can not make it up. If given after the time period, it is not considered Zakah. This form of Zakah becomes obligatory from the sunset غروب الشمس of the last day of Ramadan (fasting) and remains obligatory until the beginning of the E’id prayer (shortly after the sunrise شروق الشمس of the following day). However, it can be paid two or three days before the E’id.
The purpose of Zakat Al-Fitr is to provide the poor with a means of celebrating the festival of breaking the fast (E’id Al-Fitr عيد الفطر) along with the rest of the Muslims. It is an act of solidarity and thankfulness to Allah for having enabled the Muslim to observe the obligatory fasting of the holy month. Its main purpose is to purify those who fast from any indecent act or speech and to help the poor and the needy.
The amount of this kind of Zakah is the same for everyone regardless of their different income brackets. The minimum amount is one Saa’ صاع (four double handfuls) of food (grain or dried fruit) for each member of the family. According to the Muslims majority, the Saa’ is approximately between 2.6 kg to 3 kg. Also, one can pay Zakat Al-Fitr as money equivalent to that amount.
Each Muslim is required to calculate يحسب how much Zakah or charity is due from himself and his dependants and go into the community المجتمع in order to find those who deserve such charity. Thus, Zakat Al-Fitr plays an important role in the development of the bonds الروابط inside the community. The rich are obliged to come into direct contact اتصال with the poor, and the poor are put in direct contact with the extremely poor. This contact between the various levels of society helps to build real bonds of brotherhood الأخوّة and love within the Islamic community and to encourage generosity and sympathy to and with those who do not have.
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Peace سلام / Salam/
