Resolutions of Iftaa' Board



Resolutions of Iftaa' Board

Resolution No.(200) Amount of Zakah of Fitr

Date Added : 02-11-2015

Resolution No.(200) (10/2014) by the Board of Iftaa`, Research and Islamic Studies for the year 1435 A.H.

Amount of Zakah of Fitr

Date:25/Sha`ban/1435 A.H corresponding to 19/6/2014 A.D

All praise be to Allah, peace and blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon his family and righteous companions:

The  Board, in its 8th session held on Thursday (25 /Sha`ban/ 1435AH) corresponding to  (19/6/2014AD), reviewed  the issue of estimating the amount of Zakah of Fitr. After careful review  and deliberation, it decided the following:

Giving Zakaatul-Fitr is an obligatory act of worship in Islam and one aspect of social solidarity which characterizes our forbearing  Islamic Sharia particularly in the sacred month of Ramadan, the month of piety, goodness and kindness. Therefore, it has been prescribed during the sacred month of Ramadan as an  obligation on every Muslim who possesses enough food exceeding his or his family's basic needs for the duration of the day or night of 'Eed. Any Muslim who meets this condition has to give it on behalf of everyone he is obliged to spend on, such as his wife, children, parents and even his baby who was born before the sunset of the last day of Ramadan.

Ibn 'Umar narrated: “Allah's Apostle made it incumbent on all the slave or free Muslims, male or female, to pay one Sa' of dates or barley as Zakat-ul-Fitr.”{Bukhari&Muslim}.

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri narrated: ”In the life-time of the Prophet we used to give one Sa' of food or one Sa' of dates or one Sa' of barley or one Sa' of raisins (dried grapes) as Sadaqat-ul-Fitr.”{Bukhari&Muslim}.

 

The amount of Zakatulfitr is one Sa` (2.5 kg) from what the people of that country  eat the most, and it is  lawful to give its value in currency.

 

Since the price of one kg of wheat is estimated at (60) piasters, every individual has to give (150) piasters as a minimum for Zakatulfitr, and one who wishes to give more may estimate the value of other food items such as dates and raisins in line with what they can afford, and their reward is due from Allah. It is better if it is given out on 'Eed day but if it is given on the first day of Ramadan then that is also sufficient.

It is the religious duty of all Muslims to honorably hold this symbol of God, and make sure that it is given to the needy in its due time  for it purifies the souls of those who do so. Therefore, it is due on the child and the sick who are exempted from fasting in Ramadan. Ibn Abbass(May Allah be pleased with them) narrated that the Prophet(PBUH) described Zakatulfitr as: “ Purity to the fasting Muslim from vain talk and obscenity, and food to the needy.”{Abu Dawood}.

We pray that Allah accepts our acts of obedience and forgive our sins. And Allah knows best.

 

The Mufti General of The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: Abdulkareem Al-Khasawneh

Prof. Haiel Abdulhafiez/ Member. Prof. Abdulnassir Abulbassal/Member

His Eminence Sheikh Sai`d Hijjawi/Member. Dr.Yahi Albtoosh/Member

Prof.Mohammad Al-Khodat/Member. Dr. Moh. Khair Al-Esaa/ Member

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaylah/Member Dr. Mohammad Al-

Zou`bi/Member

Dr. Wassif Al-Bak`kri/ Member

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is a person rewarded for refraining from all that breaks their fast when required to do so, and is it considered a valid fast?

If a person eats or drinks thinking that Fajr has not yet arrived, but then someone informs them that Fajr had already begun, they must refrain from eating for the rest of the day and make up the fast later.
If they observe the required restraint (imsak), they will be rewarded for obeying the command because fulfilling an obligation brings reward.
However, this is not considered a valid fast in terms of rulings. For example:
● It is not disliked (makruh) for them to use a miswak after noon.
● They are not encouraged to hasten the breaking of the fast at sunset.
● Other fasting-related rulings do not apply to them.

What is the ruling on waiving a debt owed by a debtor and counting it toward zakāh?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Waiving a debt owed by a debtor, with the intention of counting it toward zakāh, does not fulfill the zakāh obligation. Rather, it constitutes an ordinary act of charity, for which Allah rewards the giver generously — since one of the conditions for the validity of zakāh is that the person paying it must form the intention of zakāh at the actual moment the wealth is paid out. In this case, the debt has already been established as a standing obligation upon the borrower, so it is not valid to simply redirect the intention toward zakāh after the fact.
It is preferable, instead, for the creditor to first collect the debt from the debtor, and then return to him the amount of money he is required to pay as zakāh — or a portion of it — if the debtor happens to fall under one of the eight categories that Allah, the Exalted, has commanded be given from zakāh.
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik, from the books of the Shāfi‘ī school: "If someone gives [money] to a poor person, stipulating that the recipient return it to him in payment of a debt owed to him, or says, 'I am making what you owe me into zakāh, so take it [as such]' — this is not valid. But if he gives it to him with the [unstated] intention that the recipient will use it to repay him, or says, 'Repay what you owe me, so that I may [then separately] give it to you as zakāh,' or the debtor himself says, 'Give it to me, so that I may [then] repay you with it' — this is valid, and there is no binding obligation for the recipient to actually fulfill this [informal understanding]." And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

Can a menstruating woman listen to the Quran from the radio or television?

Yes, a menstruating woman is allowed to listen to the Quran from the radio or television. What is forbidden for her is reciting the Quran and touching the Mus-haf, but listening is permissible—in fact, it is an act of worship.However, she should not repeat along with the Qur’an or try to keep pace with it. 

I bought an apartment, and I am saving money to pay the remaining balance of its price — is zakāh obligatory on this money?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Zakāh is obligatory on all saved/hoarded wealth. Once the total wealth reaches the niṣāb (minimum threshold liable for zakah— equivalent to the value of 85 grams of pure 24-karat gold) and a full ḥawl (lunar year) has elapsed over it, zakāh becomes obligatory at a rate of (2.5%) — even if the wealth is earmarked for basic future needs, and even if the wealth's owner is in debt. Debt does not prevent the obligation of zakāh, nor is it deducted when calculating the zakāh due, based on the general and unrestricted wording of all the Qur'anic verses commanding zakāh, which draw no distinction between someone in debt and anyone else.
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik, from the books of the Shāfi‘ī school: "If someone possesses exactly the niṣāb, and owes an equivalent amount in debt, zakāh remains obligatory on what is in his possession, and the debt does not prevent this obligation" — meaning, the obligation of zakāh on what is presently in his possession.
The ḥawl (annual cycle) recognized for zakāh, as well as for the other sharī‘ah obligations that Allah, the Exalted, has imposed upon Muslims, is the Hijrī (lunar) year. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.