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Masjid al-Mu’min Zakaatul-Fitr Announcement 1445/April 2024
As Salaamu ‘Alaykum wa Rahamatullahi wa Barakaatuhu!
All praises are due to Allah – the Lord of the Worlds! Peace and Blessings be upon our beloved Prophet – Muhammad ibn Abdullah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) – who is the last and seal of the Prophets and Messengers (may Allah bless and grant all of them peace).
We praise Allah for everything and all situations. We thank Allah for allowing us to reach another blessed Ramadan and granting us another opportunity to draw closer to Him.
As we draw near to the end of this Mubarak (Blessed) month we need to inform and remind the Believers regarding of the obligation of paying Zakaat ul-Fitr or Sadaqatul-Fitr as it is sometimes called.
Paying Zakaat ul-Fitr is an obligation (i.e. it is wājib) which must be fulfilled before the ‘Eid prayer begins. If you’re on Pittsburgh’s local calendar that would mean that your Zakaat ul-Fitr should be paid by Tuesday, April 9th because the new moon of Shawwāl could be sighted that evening. Thus, the ‘Eid could be on Wednesday (the 10th); or if not sighted it could be on Thursday (the 11th). Early payment of your Zakaat ul-Fitr makes it easier for us to distribute it. We keep none of this and try our best to have it all distributed immediately after the ‘Eid prayer.
The Arabic word zakaat has two meanings: (1) to purify, and (2) to grow, while al-fitr means to cut off or to end one’s fast. Zakaat ul-fitr is also called sadaqat ul-fitr. The word sadaqah is the Arabic word for charity.
The purpose of Zakaat ul-Fitr is to purify one’s fast from indecent or foul speech and actions which may have corrupted or tainted it. Its secondary purpose is to feed the poor who don’t have enough food to enjoy this festive occasion (i.e. ‘Eid ul-Fitr). These things have been established in the following hadith:
It has been narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) prescribed Zakaat ul-fitr as a purification of the fasting person from empty, obscene talk and as a means of feeding those who are poor.عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: فَرَضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ زَكَاةَ الْفِطْرِ طُهْرَةً لِلصَّائِمِ مِنَ اللَّغْوِ وَالرَّفَثِ وَطُعْمَةً لِلْمَسَاكِينِ...
This hadith has been related by Abu Dawud
The fasting person who neglects to pay his or her zakaat ul-fitr has his or her reward for the fast suspended between the heavens and the earth until it is paid. If it is paid late it is counted as regular sadaqah (charity). This is indicated by the 2nd part of the above-mentioned hadith narrated by Ibn Abbās:
“Therefore, whoever pays it before the (‘Eid) prayer it will be accepted and counted as Zakaat. And whoever pays it after the prayer it will be counted as a sadaqah like any other sadaqah”.فَمَنْ أَدَّاهَا قَبْلَ الصَّلَاةِ فَهِيَ زَكَاةٌ مَقْبُولَةٌ وَمَنْ أَدَّاهَا بَعْدَ الصَّلَاةِ فَهِيَ صَدَقَةٌ مِنَ الصَّدَقَاتِ
This is an obligation upon every free (“free” meaning “non-slave”) Muslim. He who has enough provision for himself and his dependents’ basic living expenses for the day of ‘Eid ul-Fitr - even if he must borrow the Zakaatul-fitr (given that he hopes to repay it) must give Zakaatul-fitr. If one can only afford to give part of the Zakaatul-fitr then one must do so, starting with himself then his wife, then his children, and so on until he has given what he can afford. The Zakaatul-fitr of a male child must be given by the child’s father or guardian unless the child is wealthy in which case it is not obligatory to do so.
The man or head of the household pays it for him or herself and his/her dependents. For example, if you are a man with 1 wife and 3 children, then you are paying for 5 people. If you are a man with 2 wives and 4 children you are paying for 7 people. If you are a single mother with 1 child you are paying for 2 people (assuming the father isn’t or can’t pay for whatever reason). The father is responsible for paying for all of his children even if they do not reside with him.
Shehu ‘Uthman Dan Fodiyo (may Allah envelop him in His Mercy) quotes the following hadith in his book called “The Support of the Scholars”:
It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) who said “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) made giving Zakaatul-fitr obligatory in the amount of a sā’a [that is: 2.03 liters/64 oz or 4 lbs of rice] of dates or a sā’a of barley, upon every slave, free person, male, female, child, and adult from the Muslims. And he ordered that it be given before the people come out for the (‘Eid) prayer.”عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ فَرَضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم زَكَاةَ الْفِطْرِ صَاعاً مِنْ تَمْرٍ، أَوْ صَاعاً مِنْ شَعِيرٍ عَلَى الْعَبْدِ وَالْحُرِّ، وَالذَّكَرِ وَالْأُنْثَى، وَالصَّغِيرِ وَالْكَبِيرِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَأَمَرَ بِهَا أَنْ تُؤَدَّى قَبْلَ خُرُوجِ النَّاسِ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ
This hadith has been related by Bukhari in his Sahih.
The amount that must be given for oneself and each Muslim dependent is one sā’a or 2.03 liters / 64oz or 4 lbs of rice. One sā’a is made up of four “mood”. A “mood” is the amount of rice or any other food that will fill up the cupped hands of a person with average-sized hands ("average" is relative to the size of the hands of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)).
It should be paid in the form of the main staple food of one’s region from one of the following categories of food:
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Wheat,
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Barley,
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Corn kernel,
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Rice (this is the best food to give in the United States since it is a staple here),
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Dates,
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Raisins, or
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Dried cheese that has had its cream extracted.
Some classical scholars, such as Imām Abu Hanīfah (may Allah have Mercy upon him), have also permitted this to be paid in cash. This acceptable cash amount is supposed to be an amount equivalent to that of the foodstuff. This is the reason why you find that the cash price Masjid al-Mu’min sets for Zakaatul-Fitr is typically lower than many other communities.
Masjid al-Mu’min is prepared to accept and distribute your Zakaatul-fitr. If you are paying your Zakaatul-fitr in cash, we have set the amount at $11; which is the approximate price of a sā’a of rice (4lbs). So to clarify, if you are a man who has a wife and 3 children you would pay 5 sā’a or $55 for your Zakaatul-Fitr. If you are a man with 2 wives and 4 children you are paying for 7 people i.e. $77. If you are a single mother with 1 child you are paying for 2 people (assuming the father isn’t or can’t pay for whatever reason) i.e. $22.
There are envelopes in the masjid for your Zakaatul-fitr. Just write “Zakaat ul-Fitr” on it, put your money in the envelope, and then put it in the safe. You can also use our PayPal or CashApp accounts for this purpose. And you can also visit our website (masjidalmumin.org) & look for the “Zakaat ul-Fitr” link:
PayPal CashApp Zelle
paypal.me/masjidmumin $masjidalmumin donations@masjidalmumin.org
Make sure to indicate that it is for “Zakaatul-Fitr”.
The ‘Eid prayer will be Wednesday April 10th or Thursday April 11th depending on the sighting of the hilāl (the new moon), so make sure that you fulfill your obligation before then. It is our tradition at Masjid al-Mu’min to distribute the Zakaatul-Fitr immediately after the ‘Eid Salaat. And we intend to uphold that tradition inshaa’Allah (if Allah wills).
If you are not local to Pittsburgh and still wish to pay your Zakaat ul-Fitr through us that is fine and we welcome that. If you are in Pittsburgh please note that I (Imām Na’eem Abdullah) will not be directly dealing with the collection or distribution of Zakaat ul-Fitr. This will be handled by our treasurer. If you wish to receive Zakaat ul-Fitr go to our website – www.masjidalmumin.org and fill out the Zakaatul Fitr Survey link or click the following link: https://forms.gle/hsBDwVcKh9s78hBs7
You will not receive it – even if you received it in the past – unless you contact our treasurer – not me!
Please spread this to all of those who may benefit from it. May Allah (the Most High) accept and bless your fast and bring you all closer to Him!
Your Brother,
Na’eem Abdullah
Imām, Masjid al-Mu’min
Pittsburgh, PA