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Question: What is the Islaamic ruling regarding a man who fasted Ramadhaan and stood [its nights] in prayer, [and all] Praise is due to Allaah [alone], but at the end of Ramadhaan – and when giving the Zakaatul-Fitr, which is a purification for the fasting person from idle talk and obscene speech, and it is feeding the poor as mentioned in the hadeeth, and it is a Saa’ of wheat or a Saa’ of barley, and so on til the end of the hadeeth, but this man gave it in the form of money thinking that money could replace dates, flour or rice. [So] what is your opinion on this [O] Noble Shaykh?
Response: This is not permissible. That which is correct is that it should be given in the form of [staple] food as occurred during the time of the Prophet ﷺ.
This [opinion] is what the majority of the People of Knowledge are upon. And the opinion that it can be given in the form of money instead of food is a weak opinion.
That which is correct is that it is obligatory upon the Muslims to give the Zakaatul-Fitr as [staple] food.
[And that is] a saa’ of the [staple] food of the land [where the recipients reside]. This is what is obligatory.
And it is not permissible for anyone to make ijtihaad in this [matter] to give [Zakaatul-Fitr] in the form of money.
Yes.
Translator’s note: One saa’ is equal to four mudd, and one mudd is equal to the amount held by cupping the two hands together. It is a measure by volume and not by weight.
Translation originally published on 28 March, 2025
