Al-Fitrah Charity Due to Fasting

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Whomever you include in you dependents, free people or slaves it then is obligatory upon you to pay al-Fitrah for them.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Paying al- Fitrah before Salat (prayer) is better and after Salat (prayer) it is charity.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about al-Fitrah. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is obligatory upon small, grown up people, free and slaves. The amount of al-Fitrah for every human being is one Sa‘ (three kilograms). It can be paid from wheat or dates or raisins.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Paying al-Fitrah in the form of dates is better than other items because its benefit is immediate. As soon as it reaches the hands of the recipient he eats thereof.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘Zakat had come but people had no taxable assets. It was only al- Fitrah.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If you pay before going out for Salat (prayer) on ‘Id day it is al-Fitrah, but if you pay after you go out for ‘Id it then is charity.’”

“I once asked al-Rida’ (a.s.), about the amount of wheat, barley, dates or raisins for each person as al-Fitrah. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is one Sa’ of the Sa‘ of the Prophet (sw).”’

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about paying al-Fitrah one day earlier. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’ I then asked, ‘Is it permissible to collect al-Fitrah and then turn it into waraq (cash) and give it to one Muslim person?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not harmful to pay al-Fitrah for one’s dependents who are not present, and one can instruct his dependents to pay for him in case one is not present.’”

“I once wrote to the man (the Imam) (a.s.), asking about the amount of al-Fitrah. He (the Imam) wrote the answer, ‘It is six Artal of dates by al-Madiniy Artal which is nine Artal by al- Baghdadiy ones.”’

“I once wrote to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), through my father asking, ‘May I be sacrificed for you, our people have differences about al-Sa’. Some of them say that al-Fitra is by al-Sa‘ al-Madaniy and others say it is by al-Sa‘ al-‘Iraqiy. He (the Imam) wrote back to me: ‘Al-Sa‘ is six Artal by al-Madaniy, and nine Artal by al-‘Iraqiy.’ He (the Imam) informed me that it weighs one thousand one hundred seventy Waznah (a certain unit of measurement).”’

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who has an amount which is only sufficient for him if he can give it to an outsider destitute or himself and (his) family use it. He (the Imam) said, ‘He can give to one of his dependents who then gives to another and so on, one person gives to other one and it will be one al-Fitrah for all of them.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who receives al-Fitrah: if he is required to pay al-Fitrah. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he is required to pay al-Fitrah from what he receives as al- Fitrah.’”

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a new born on the night of al-Fitr; if there is al-Fitrah obligatory. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, al-Fitrah is not obligatory because the month is passed.’ I then asked, about a Jew who becomes a Muslim on the night of al-Fitr. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, al-Fitrah is not obligatory on him.’”

“I once wrote to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), and asked if the executor of the will is required to pay al-Fitrah for the orphans if they have any assets. He (the Imam) wrote, ‘There is no al-Fitrah on orphans.’ I asked if a slave whose master dies who is in another location, and there is a certain amount of assets of his master in his hand; when the time for paying al-Fitrah comes: if he can pay for himself from the assets of his master, which has become assets of the orphans. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he pays al-Fitrah for himself.’”

“I once said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, are people of remote villages required to pay al-Fitrah? He (the Imam) said, ‘al-Fitrah is on every one who consumes food, thus it is obligatory to pay from what one consumes.’”

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who lives in a remote village and is not able to pay al-Fitrah. He (the Imam) said, ’He is required to pay by four Artal of milk.”’

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who has a guest from his brothers and the day of al-Fitrah comes; if he must pay al-Fitrah for him. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, al-Fitrah is obligatory for everyone whom you count of your dependents, male, female, children, grown up, free or slaves.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not harmful to pay al-Fitrah for two, three, or four people to one man.’”

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about Zakat of al-Fitrah. He (the Imam) said, ‘Pay it to the Muslims. If you do not find one, pay to a Mustaz‘af (mentally and physically weak) or pay to your relatives, if you like.’”

“I once asked abu Ibrahim (a.s.), about al-Fitrah; if I can pay it to poor neighboring people who are not of the people of my Wilayah (people who believe in the Divine Authority of ’A’immah). He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, neighbors are more deserving because of the popularity (of fatwa about the privileges of neighbors).”’

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is permissible to pay Zakat al-Fitrah to a slave who has contracted his freedom, slave of one’s wife, his own Christian, Zoroastrian slave and those who have closed the door on themselves.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said to me, ‘Go and pay al-Fitrah for our dependents and pay for the slaves for all of them and do not leave anyone. If you left out a soul from them I will be afraid for the loss.’ I asked, ‘What kind of loss is it?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is death.’”

“I once sent a certain amount of dirham that belonged to me and someone else to abu al-Hassan, al- Rida’ (a.s.), and wrote to inform him that it is of al-Fitrah of the family. He (the Imam) wrote with his hand writing, ‘I received and accepted.’”

“I once asked him (the Imam) about al-Fitrah, ‘To whom does it belong?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It belongs to the Imam.’ I then asked, ‘Can I tell my people about it?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, if you like to cleanse certain ones among them.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘It is not harmful to change the price of al-Fitrah in to wariq (cash).”’

“I once wrote to abu al-Hassan, the third (a.s.), that a (certain) people have asked me about al-Fitrah. They ask if they can bring its price to you. In the year before, this man had delivered to you. He had asked me to ask you but I had forgotten about it. This year I have sent you for every one of my dependents one dirham as price of nine Artal for one dirham. Grant us your decision, I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause. He (the Imam) wrote to me, ‘Questions about al- Fitrah have become so many and I dislike whatever leads to popularity (unnecessary propagation). Cut down its mention, accept from those who have given, and abstain from those who have not paid.’”