Some quick points regarding Zakaatul-Fitr
Some quick points regarding Zakaatul-Fitr:
* It is a bid'ah to give it as money and opposes the Sunnah, as has
been mentioned by Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen, Shaykh al-Fawzaan, &
others.
* Zakaatul-Fitr is given as a Saa' (4 amdaad [mudds])
of rice, wheat barley, dates, cheese or raisins. Shaykh al-Fawzaan
mentions it can also be a type of food common to the people of that
land, like corn, for example. [al-Mukhlis al-Fiqhee]
* I asked
our Shaykh, Dr. Aboo Muhammad Fawaaz al-'Awadhee 1, this evening about
the miqdaar of a mudd & saa' due to the confusion (mine &
some others) in regards to different sayings of Ahlul-'Ilm and things posted
on the internet. He mentioned the mudd an-Nabawee (Prophetic mudd) is a
measurement based on volume that fits in the two cupped-together hands
of an average sized man. This was the saa' of the people of al-Madeenah 2.
He said a mudd is a measurement, not a cup, bowl or utensil.
So a saa' is 4 mudds, or amdaad. Once one figures out the volume &
subsequent weight of a mudd of the food type being measured, he can
times that by 4 to get the weight of a saa', then do the math for a saa'
per each family member.
* food types will differ between each
other in their volume (a mudd of rice will differ in volume & it's
weight from a mudd of dates, etc.) and can a respective food type can
differ in itself (some dates may be bigger than others, basmati may
differ from Uncle Ben's, etc.). Shaykh Fawaaz mentioned that ash-Shaykh
Ibn 'Uthaymeen mentioned that generally a saa' of rice today comes out
to approx. 2.4 or 2.5 kilos, while dates can be around 1.5 kilos,
depending on the type. Shaykh Ahmad as-Subay'ee mentioned that a person
just buying a bag of rice and giving it is not the same as a person
measuring it out with his own hands and then giving it.
* it is
supposed to be distributed amongst the poor and the destitute as occurs
in the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas, as Ibnul-Qayyim mentions in "Zaad", not
that 8 categories mentioned in the Qur'aan.
* It must be given
before the 'Eed salaah in order to be accepted as Zakaatul-Fitr,
otherwise it is normal sadaqah, as comes in the hadeeth.
These are just quick points from what we've read &; heard from our Mashaayikh in this issue, and Allaah knows best!
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1. Shaykh Fawaaz is a muhaqqiq, researcher, & teacher at Daarul-Qur'aan here in Kuwait and one of our beloved mashaayikh. Shaykh Zayd ad-Dawsiree recently said "Shaykh Fawaaz with us is a faqeeh". He has studied with many of our mashaayikh here in Kuwait and frequently visits the Mashaayikh in al-Madeenah and studied with some of them while completing his PhD in the Islaamic University... for those who wanted to know, baarakallaahu feekum.
2 Shaykh (Dr.) Muhammad bin Haadee al-Madjhalee has mentioned this as well, as can be found here.
