What is Zakat al-Fitr? - Shaykh Mustafa Abu Rayyan

Khutbah Opening

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَصَفِيُّهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ وَخَلِيلُهُ أَرْسَلَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَى النَّاسِ كَافَّةً بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا فَبَلَّغَ الرِّسَالَةَ وَأَدَّى الْأَمَانَةَ وَنَصَحَ الْأُمَّةَ وَتَرَكَنَا عَلَى الْمَحَجَّةِ الْبَيْضَاءِ لَيْلُهَا كَنَهَارِهَا لَا يَزِيغُ عَنْهَا إِلَّا هَالِكٌ فَصَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ وَسَلَامُهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ وَمَنِ اهْتَدَى بِهَدْيِهِ وَاسْتَنَّ بِسُنَّتِهِ وَدَعَا بِدَعْوَتِهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ تَقَوْا وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ مُحْسِنُونَ

My brothers and sisters, I start by praising Allah Almighty and sending blessings and salutations upon our beloved Messenger Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

The Purpose of Ramadan: Attaining Taqwa

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in the Quran:

O you who believe, fasting has been made obligatory upon you just like the people that came before you, so that you may attain taqwa.

My brothers and sisters, the reason why we fast is to attain taqwa. The purpose behind Ramadan is to attain taqwa. The purpose behind our worship is to attain taqwa. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in the first commandment in the Quran says:

O mankind, worship your Lord — الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ — the One who has created you and those who came before you, so that you may attain taqwa.

So the purpose behind all of this — our fasting, our qiyam, our prayer, our worship — it is to be people that are conscious of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And it's important as Muslims we always reflect upon that fact. Have I become more conscious of Allah Almighty? Am I better with my fara'id? Have I increased some nawafil or mustahabbat in my life? Am I doing more recommended actions? Am I giving more charity? Am I more observant of what I am saying? Have I changed my behaviors? Has my life changed? Am I a better Muslim?

Now that Ramadan is almost ending, and alhamdulillah we had this beautiful training — we were fasting and we were coming to qiyam and we were reciting Quran — had it had an effect on your heart? And this is what we need, ikhwani fillah. We need our hearts to change. Our hearts need to — the worship that we do needs to have an effect on our heart. Because when our heart becomes good then our actions become good as well, like the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said.

Did the qiyam that you were attending have an effect on you? Did the fasting that you were doing have an effect on you? Did the Quran that you were reciting have an effect on you? Have you become a better Muslim? Do you feel that your iman has increased? This should be what you should be focused on, ikhwani fillah.

This is the whole point of fasting, the whole point of worship. Which is why Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us in the Quran that our iman increases through worship and it decreases because of sin. So we have to work on increasing our iman.

Preserving the Spirituality of Worship

A lot of times the actions that we do — even the coming to the taraweeh prayer — might become something mechanical, something that you're doing because everyone else is doing. When it's Ramadan, we just have to go to taraweeh; it's the thing that we do. And that shouldn't be the case. Don't take the spirituality out of your worship.

So next time when you come to qiyam, next time when you're praying your salah, when you're sitting for your dhikr, remember that you are worshipping the greatest. Remember that you are doing that which you have been created to do. Remember that the angels are writing down what you are doing. Be conscious of every little effort of worship that you are doing and have the best intention possible.

I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to make us of those that have the best intention. I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to accept our siyam and our qiyam and our prayers and to make us of those that are going to continue to carry on.

Signs of Accepted Good Deeds

Among the signs, ikhwan, of your acts of worship being accepted by Allah — because in the end of the day we want our actions to be accepted, and Allah only accepts it from the people that have taqwa. Like Allah says in the Quran:

Allah only accepts the worship of those who have taqwa. May Allah make us among those.

There are signs to tell whether your good actions have been accepted. Has your charity been accepted? Has your prayer been accepted? Has your fasting been accepted by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? We do not know that. It's not guaranteed. It depends on your intention, and we ask Allah to accept our good deeds.

But there are some signs, and among them, ikhwan, is:

It is that you do another good deed right after. So a sign that your prayer has been accepted is that Allah gives you the ability to pray another prayer afterwards — or that you pray a sunnah afterwards, or that you sit down for dhikr. A sign that your charity has been accepted is that you can continue doing good deeds. So among the signs of your good deeds being accepted is the ability to carry on doing them.

The Muslim's life is revolved around worship. When Ramadan ends, we celebrate Ramadan through an act of worship — the Eid. We celebrate through something called Zakat al-Fitr. Remember that and be conscious of it. Always ask Allah to accept your good deeds. Try to follow them up with more good deeds. Try to have the best intention possible. And ensure that your ibadah doesn't become a regular act that you do mechanically — ensure that it's still an act of worship in devotion to the Almighty.

The Last Nights of Ramadan

I want to say a few words regarding Zakat al-Fitr. But first — a reminder that Ramadan hasn't ended yet. During this time, people get busy with shopping for Eid and getting the house ready, this and that. Don't let that distract you from the most important nights. The 27th night hasn't happened yet — which is the night we hope the most to be Laylatul Qadr. There are some odd nights left. There are still some of the last ten nights remaining. So ensure that your family is engaged in worship. You are engaged in worship. You're coming to taraweeh and tahajjud, or you're at least praying at home. Ramadan hasn't finished yet, so let's continue on insha'Allah to the best of our abilities.

Zakat al-Fitr: What It Is and Why We Give It

Among the acts of worship that Allah has prescribed upon us is that we give a charity towards the end of Ramadan or on the day of Eid. This is known as Zakat al-Fitr or Sadaqat al-Fitr. The word Fitr means to break your fast. So it is the zakat that we give to break our fast.

Why do we give this zakat when we finish Ramadan? The same reason why the moment you finish prayer the first thing you say is Astaghfirullah, Astaghfirullah, Astaghfirullah. You just finished an act of worship and you're asking Allah to forgive you. Because every act of worship that we do always has shortcomings. In your salah, you were probably thinking of something — you were distracted. In your fasting, similarly, it wasn't perfect. So part of why we give this small charity is to fill in the holes of our shortcomings in our fast.

There is a hadith of Ibn Abbas where he said that the Prophet ﷺ legislated the Zakat al-Fitr, the charity of the breaking of the fast. And then the Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 1609; also reported by Ibn Majah, Hadith 1827)

It is a purification for the fasting person from the laghw (idle speech) and the rafath (obscene speech) — some of the degrees of shortcomings the person was engaged in. Perhaps some of the days that you were fasting, you said a bad word, you sinned, you weren't engaged in worship the way you were supposed to. Remember, fasting isn't only from food and drink. Our limbs, our tongues, and our eyes should also be fasting — away from sin and not engaged in it. But we all have shortcomings. So this sadaqah that you pay helps with those shortcomings.

And then the Prophet ﷺ said: وَهِيَ أَيْضًا طُعْمَةٌ لِلْمَسَاكِينِ — it is a provision, it is food for the poor. So this charity that we give is first and foremost to alleviate some of our shortcomings in our fast, and also to put happiness in the hearts of those that are less fortunate and to give them طُعْمَة — a food or a provision.

Who Must Pay Zakat al-Fitr?

This is wajib upon everyone of you and everyone in your household. You should give it on behalf of all those for whom you are responsible. That means your wife, your children, everyone in your home — even the babies. Every head of household — there should be a Sadaqat al-Fitr paid on behalf of them, whether they were fasting or not, male or female, young or old. It doesn't matter.

Some scholars went as far as to say it is even recommended to pay Sadaqat al-Fitr on behalf of the child in the mother's womb. Because this is a small charity — so everyone in your household, it is obligatory upon you to pay on their behalf. So if your household consists of five people, that would be five Sadaqat al-Fitr that you have to pay. And the amount is actually quite small and manageable by most.

When and How to Pay Zakat al-Fitr

When is it paid? It is paid, ikhwani fillah, before the Eid prayer. It has to be paid before the Eid prayer. That means that once Eid is prayed, the timing for this zakat is over. So you have to give it on the day of Eid, or at least a few days prior — one or two days prior. This was the practice of the sahabah and the Prophet ﷺ. In fact, the way they did it was they would collect the zakat a day before. The Prophet ﷺ would have all the zakat brought to the mosque — some family would bring wheat, or dates, or whatever they were bringing — and they would collect it in the mosque. In one narration, the Prophet ﷺ asked Abu Hurairah to guard it for that night. Then the moon of the next month would be sighted — it is Eid. So the next day when Fajr was prayed, people would gather around the mosque and the sadaqat al-fitr would be distributed to them before they went for the Eid prayer.

Now that's not how we do it here today. But you should keep in mind that whoever is receiving it should receive it before the Eid prayer. So you can send it or give it a few days prior as well.

Should It Be Given in Food or Money?

It should be given in food and not in money, because this was the way of the Prophet ﷺ. Now of course a lot of us pay the money to organizations that will ensure that the food will be given to those that are in need — this is the opinion of the majority of the scholars. Yes, there are some scholars who have said, depending on the circumstances, you can give it in money. But to be safe and to follow the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, give it in food.

The reason the scholars say this, ikhwani fillah, is very simple. There was money present during the time of the Prophet ﷺ — they had dinars, coins of gold, and dirhams, coins of silver. They existed. Yet the Prophet ﷺ instructed that food be given — specifically the staple food being eaten by those people. That which the people eat and take as food should be given to the poor. So that should be the case for Sadaqat al-Fitr, and we should always follow the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.

Remember also that this is an act of worship. So have the intention that you're doing it for Allah. Don't let it be something you just rush through. Think of it as an act of worship that you're doing for Allah. May Allah accept it from all of us.

أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

Second Khutbah

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَبِهِ نَسْتَعِينُ عَلَى أُمُورِ الدُّنْيَا وَالدِّينِ

My brothers and sisters, alhamdulillah — Allah has given us this great opportunity of fasting and qiyam and prayer and worship. May Allah accept it from us.

We spoke a little about the rulings as they relate to Zakat al-Fitr. Again, ensure that you have paid it. It is wajib upon you. And it is a right of the poor so that they can also have something to eat and be happy on the day of Eid.

Our Celebrations Are Tied to Worship

It also shows you that what we as Muslims celebrate — we only celebrate acts of worship. The fulfillment that a believer gets from an act of worship is worthy of celebration. Ramadan finishes, we are happy and we are celebrating. What ibadah precedes the other Eid? The ibadah of Hajj. So our celebrations, our holidays, our happiness — they are intertwined with great acts of worship. And this should again be the mentality of the believer: that what's truly important to us is worshipping Allah and helping our fellow believers and our fellow people.

Give Zakat Locally — Don't Neglect Those Near You

Lastly, I want to share with you the concept of giving sadaqah and zakat. A lot of times we send it abroad — either back home to family members that don't live here, or to places that are in need and in humanitarian crisis. This is good. This is important. But what you need to remember is that the Prophet ﷺ, when he spoke about zakat — regular zakat al-mal, and Zakat al-Fitr falls under this as well — said that it should be distributed locally.

You don't have to distribute it locally. But it is highly recommended, because you shouldn't neglect the people that live in your locality for other people that live in another locality. Unless there are other circumstances — such as a huge humanitarian crisis, in which case that of course makes sense — or you have relatives, because relatives have a right over you. But other than that, generally speaking, the local causes, the local people that are poor, the local relatives that you have who are in need — don't forget them. Whether it is for your zakat or for your regular sadaqah — don't forget the people that you live locally with. It's very important.

The Prophet ﷺ in the famous hadith of Mu'adh ibn Jabal — when speaking about the concept of zakat and instructing Mu'adh — said: when you go to Yemen, tell them they have to pray five times a day, and when they agree upon that, tell them they have to pay zakat that will be taken from their rich and given to their poor.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1395; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 19)

So the Prophet ﷺ is saying: take it from the rich there and give it to the poor there. So the scholars of fiqh and our jurists say it is not befitting — again, it is allowed, and if you have relatives please send the money, and if there is a humanitarian crisis that requires support send your zakat — but it is not befitting to neglect the people in your locality as well.

This is just something that you should keep in the back of your head. I'm not saying you have to, but it's something you should really pay attention to, because a lot of times we tend to neglect the people that are near us in favor of people that are far away.

Closing Du'a

I ask Allah to accept our fasting, our sadaqah, our zakat, and our worship. I ask Allah to forgive our sins and forgive our shortcomings. I ask Allah to make us of those that are freed from hellfire in the month of Ramadan and are promised Jannah.

Ameen. Ameen. Ameen.